For if you choose self-sacrifice, giving up your lives for my glory, you will embark on a discovery of more and more of true life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will lose what you try to keep.
Luke 9:24 TPT
For the longest time I did NOT understand this verse.
How could “losing your life” be the doorway to finding it?
It didn’t make sense to me, and I have to admit, that this is where “the accuser” used to point out to me on a regular basis,
“…God couldn’t possibly be GOOD and ask you to give up the things you cherish most.”
I knew following Jesus had to right—it was in the Bible, after all. But truth be told, my head and my heart argued about it—a lot!
I prayed and asked God to teach me what this verse really meant.
Discovery of a place called: THE WILDERNESS.
I remember very clearly, the first time I heard God whisper, “…wilderness” to my heart.
I actually asked Him, “Where is this WILDERNESS? What is it? Where are we going?”
Then God asked me to lay down all of my dreams, and follow Him to the last place I wanted to go.
I remember thinking, “Uh-oh, I don’t think I’m going to a place that’s good!”
(And, yes, my head and my heart were having a battle royal over obeying His call!)
But He is KING Jesus!
We Christians belong to what we call “the upside kingdom,” and Kingship, is not a common concept in our western democracy; not unless we are speaking about ourselves, of course. Then there is no confusion at all.
“The Wilderness” is where I was taught to embrace this foreign concept of KINGDOM, and then lay down my false images of democracy, and my rights to myself.
(Yes, the Wilderness taught me surrender, trust, dependence, endurance, and more.)
It was definitely my wilderness-walking that taught me to endure hardness like a soldier. But looking back? The most important thing I came out with was this: Jesus is my KING and LORD.
I met KING Jesus THERE…
And in doing so, in losing my life for His sake?
I definitely FOUND my life!
I found the life of Kingdom abundance beyond my heart’s wildest dreams.
Because where Jesus rules?
Life is whole, and complete, and so incredibly sweet!
Where Jesus Christ’s glory rules and reigns over all?
Our hearts embrace LIFE to the fullest!
(Oh, when I think of what I almost missed out on, by white-knuckling my own dreams and my own way!)
Yes, God has been so GOOD to me!
Women With Destiny 