lose to gain

Mark 8

34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, (Jesus) said,

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your selfish ambition,

     take up your cross,

     and follow me.


35 If you try to hang on to your life,

     you will lose it.

But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News,

     you will save it.


36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

      37 Is anything worth more than your soul?


38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days,

        the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."



I've said this before - with Jesus, the paradox is that it is only it letting go of our lives that we truly find them.

Iow, if we let go of our lives, God is able to finally fully implement the life He dreamed for us.

And which makes better sense...

     ...to implement a life that we have thought up as appropriate with our skewed, finite, sinful, selfish minds?

     ...or allow the infinite God of the universes free reign to create in us the life He dreamed for us a gajillion years ago?


Yeah...