Matthew 10:39
“Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses
their life for my sake will find it.”
A person trapped in quicksand or mud usually panics and struggles to get out. They will try to follow their instincts: thrashing, lifting their legs, and freeing themselves by sheer force. But the more they panic and move recklessly, the more their bodies sink. In such a situation, the way out is not to fight with one’s own strength, but to stop struggling, calm down, spread the body to avoid sinking further, and then accept help from others. Strangely, to be rescued, one must stop insisting on one’s own way.
This image helps us understand Jesus’ words: “Whoever finds his life will lose it.” It is a paradox that seems contrary to logic, common sense, or intuition, but it is true. We tend to think, “How can the one who preserves his life lose it?” and “How can the one who loses his life gain it?” Yet in God’s Kingdom, true life is not found when a person clings to himself but when he wholly surrenders himself to God.
Paul experienced the truth of this paradox. He said that his righteousness is “not from my own obedience to the law but that which comes through faith in Christ—the righteousness from God that depends on faith” (Phil. 3:9). As a human, a Jew, Paul was outstanding: a true Hebrew, a Pharisee, blameless in observing the Law (Phil. 3:5–6). But with all his efforts to “defend” God, he had missed the right direction. He had great religious zeal but did not know God’s true will. He was preserving his “life”: identity, pride, spiritual achievements, his own righteousness, and the whole structure of life, which he considered devotion to God.
When Christ met him, Paul realized that all he once counted as gain must be regarded as loss because knowing Christ is far more precious than all else. He said, “Whatever were gains to me, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ” (Phil. 3:7). This is losing one’s life in a very concrete way. Paul not only abandoned clearly sinful deeds; he renounced what had been his religious pride. He no longer stood before God carrying accomplishments, lineage, status, intellect, or outward obedience. He learned and strove to die to his own righteousness so that he might live in the righteousness that comes from God.
This is the hardest part of following Christ. Many are willing to be Christian, to worship, give, and even serve. But not everyone is willing to lose their life. Not everyone is willing to crucify their mind, feelings, and will. Yet God’s Kingdom cannot truly reign while we still keep the throne within us. Following Christ demands a fundamental change in prayer. We no longer say, “Lord, bless my plans,” but, “Lord, fulfill Your plans in my life.” We no longer ask, “How can you make my life more comfortable?” but, “How can my life make you pleased to be with me?” We no longer use God as a means to the future we desire, but surrender our future to align with His will.
Losing life does not happen in a single emotional event but is a daily process. We learn to deny every thought that contradicts the truth. Each day, we learn to subdue feelings that are easily offended, disappointed, jealous, fearful, or hungry for praise and validation from others. As long as self-will remains the center, God’s Kingdom has not truly come to rule. We may say, “Your kingdom come,” while our heart still says, “Let my will be done.” Therefore, spiritual maturity is not measured by how much we know the Word, but by how deeply our will is yielded to God.
One who clings to his life may appear successful by the world’s standards, but if all his success only keeps him at the center, he is losing true life. Conversely, the one who loses his life for Christ may seem to lose much: the right to defend himself, pursue personal ambitions, and live as he wishes. Yet it is precisely there that he finds true life.