To lose is to gain!

Losing hurts! Losing a game hurts your pride, losing a job hurts your finances, and losing a loved one hurts your heart. For me, the most painful loss of my life was losing my father to cancer. I wasn’t even thirty-years-old when I lost my father. Losing him hurt me deeply.

Although losing does hurt, it also leaves an opportunity to gain. Losing a game reveals to you your weaknesses and helps you become a better player and teaches you humility. Losing a job shows you how precious it is to be employed. Losing a loved one teaches you to appreciate those loved ones you still have today. To lose: is to gain.

When you lose something, you let go. I want to invite you to do something with me. I want you to grab two large glasses of water, and put one in each hand. Got it? Good. Now imagine I walk in and place a neatly folded one-hundred-dollar bill on your table for you to keep, but you have ten seconds to grab it; what would you do? You would most likely let go of one glass of water to collect your one-hundred-dollar bill. You would lose to gain.

²⁴ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to follow Me [as My disciple], he must deny himself [set aside selfish interests], and take up his cross [expressing a willingness to endure whatever may come] and follow Me [believing in Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]. ²⁵ For whoever wishes to save his life [in this world] will [eventually] lose it [through death], but whoever loses his life [in this world] for My sake will find it [that is, life with Me for all eternity]. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world [wealth, fame, success], but forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? – Matthew 16:24-26 AMP

Twenty years ago, when I came back to faith, I knew that I needed to let go of my sinful lifestyle. Twenty years later, I realize that what I let go of, does not even compare to what I have gained. I have so much; my salvation, sobriety, a wife, children, friends, and purpose. What I thought I had lost, was not worthy to be compared to what I had gained.

“… To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 NIV

What did you lose that currently has you vexed? Don’t waste your time, thoughts, emotions, and energy on what you have lost; instead, look at what all the new possibilities and all you are now able to gain! Remember, to lose, is to gain!