Matthew 10
Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”
Matthew 10:39 NIV
Observation-What does it say?
Jesus sends out His 12 disciples in the same authority that He has to heal and cast out impure spirits. The above verse is part of the instructions given to His disciples before He sends them out. He was encouraging them, and making them aware of the opposition they would face as His disciples. At the same time, He was encouraging them to take up their cross daily for when they lose their life for His sake and His mission, that is when they will find it.
Understanding-What does it mean?
The gains of being a Christ follower are greater than the losses.
This verse can be taken 2 ways-it relates to the present and to the future. It relates to the present in the sense that our lives as Christ followers are not for our own selfish gain or to pursue our own sinful desires. It is the opposite. While others in the world are seeking to "find themselves", we seek to "lose ourselves" as a servant of Jesus Christ. That's when our true purpose is realized.
This verse also relates to the future- eternity. When we die, we are not lost in a hellish existence. Instead, we find our life, for our true dwelling place to come in eternity with Christ is where our hope lies.
“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 NIV
Life Application
Do our lives seek to serve Jesus and others? Or are we living for ourselves?
The interesting thing about wanting to serve ourselves is that it never satisfies. We will always want more money, a better title/job, a bigger house, a better spouse, a better body, more praise, a better life, etc., and it's a downward spiral that is a result of discontentment because of a thirst that can't be quenched. Then comes the high counseling bills, or sometimes destructive means of masking that pain through drug/alcohol use, inappropriate relationships, workaholism, etc.
Our spirit man longs to serve and love Someone greater than ourselves and the end of the search will always be Jesus. Just like Jesus said to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:14, "but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst..", the best way for us to find "your best life now", is to lose it for the sake of Christ.