Those who find their lives will lose them, and those who lose their lives because of me will find them.
Matthew 10:39 CEB
At the start of a Middle School basketball game I found myself in just the right spot to to catch the jump ball and dash to the hoop for an easy layup. I suppressed a triumphant smile as I looked into the bleachers to acknowledge my adoring fans… only to see looks of horror and disappointment instead.
Turns out I had put the ball in the wrong basket and garnered two quick points for the opposing team.
My mistake on the ball court was a tragic blow to my self esteem, but an even greater tragedy is how much time I wasted in life trying to score the wrong kinds of points.
Wealth, popularity, accomplishments—the things we often chase after to make our lives significant—ultimately fall short of our high expectations.
Conversely, the abundant life we find in Christ exceeds our wildest imaginations. It’s completely counterintuitive but absolutely true—when we die to self-importance and make loving our neighbors our highest priority, we enjoy the peace and fulfillment that comes from being reconciled to God and humanity. Instead of striving to make a name for ourselves as a team of one, we join team Jesus for the sake of everyone… and that’s a slam dunk.
Lord God, help us to lose the self-centered way of life and find the Christ-centered, others-oriented way of life. Amen.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. We plan to post a weekly devotional and a monthly topical reflection AND we want to be as interactive as possible. Please share your thoughts and questions—we’d be thrilled to hear from you!