Losing to Gain

Losing to Gain: The call to discipleship

In this book, I’m not talking about losing weight or losing money on an investment. As a child of God, I’m delving into a discussion regarding the implications and full impact of what “losing to gain” really means. If we die to self, we gain an abundant life, not only in this life but also in our eternal lives with God.

God always takes less and does more with it. In the beginning, he took nothingand then spoke and made everything. The truth is that everything we need to fulfill our destinies is inside us. We’ve been fully equipped, and a relationship with Jesus will unveil it.

In the kingdom of God, what appears to be a loss is actually a great gain. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God … And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth” (John 1:1–2, 14). Jesus left heaven to fulfill the will of the Father, afterwards he returned, sent the Holy Spirit and one day he will return for us.

Jesus came to die for our sins so that we may gain eternal life. He was subjected to suffering and rejection, but he endured it all for us. From his birth to resurrection, Jesus was the perfect example of humility. He was born in a manger, died on a cross, was buried and resurrected. Jesus was doing his Father’s business during his life on earth. Matthew 20:28 says, “Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

Jesus, Lord of Lord, King of Kings, came to minister and to serve. This is love. He is our Savior, healer, deliverer, and everything else we need him to be. If Jesus humbled himself, then we should do the same.

Several places in the Bible reference humility. For example, Matthew 23:12 says, “And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” James 4:10 says, “Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” And 1 Peter 5:6 says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” Humility is the opposite of pride.

Pride embodies an attitude of looking at myself: everything is about me; I can do it myself; praise me. The Lord hates “a proud look” (Proverbs 6:16-19). You’ve heard the old adage that “the way up is down,” and “humility is the key.” In the Scripture it says, “The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord” (Matthew 10:24).

John 10:14–18 says,

I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

To believers, Jesus is the example of the life we should lead, and if he laid down his life for us, then we should not lead self-centered lives. Instead we should gain lives that are pleasing to him, lives that brings him glory, lives where we fulfill the assignments he destined us to complete. We should lose and let go of lives that bring us glory lives of arrogance, self-indulgence, defiance, or worshipping idols.

We read several examples in Scripture of those who lost in order to gain, those who accepted the call to discipleship. For example, there was Abraham’s obedience in leaving his country and kindred to walk into his destiny. Gideon, the mighty man of valor, won a great victory with few men. And Job lost everythingonly to gain double in the end. Yet there were others who refused to let go in order to gain. The rich young ruler never viewed a loss as a gain.

We read in the Scriptures where Jesus called those to follow him, to become his disciples. Mark 1:16–18 says, “Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.” The gospel of Luke says they forsook all. Some may consider what these men did to be a great loss, but it was actually a great gain. They became Jesus’ disciples.

Abraham left the life he knew in order to gain something more. “Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee; And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and I will curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:1–3). Abraham’s obedience made him the father of many nations.