This is probably the most defining verse of my life. I think we all have particular verses that resonate profoundly at certain periods, but this one has really stuck with me throughout the years. It is one of the harder hitting of Jesus’ signature contrarian teachings, where He states ‘you have believed it that way, but I’m telling you now it is actually this way.’ It comes in the middle of a passage that kind of marks the beginning of the end of the ministry they all thought they were in, one where Jesus has a long life, undermines or overthrows the oppressive Roman rule over Israel, and ushers in a new kingdom era. Within this context it brings a foreboding foreshadowing of the trials Jesus’ followers would soon face. Would they run and hide for their lives after his arrest, or risk all for the sake of the Kingdom. Would they risk their lives that we, thousands of years later, might ‘find it’ also?

For me, this verse has been less foreboding and more of a guiding principle to keep coming back to. It is easy to get caught up in ‘doing’ life or pursuing various life expectations and goals. If we’re honest, we spend much of our thought-life preserving or saving the life we think we ought to have. It is a big part of the reason we get up and go to work, stay up late studying for our education, or champion any number of causes that we find important. It isn’t wrong to do-so, but it can become something of a trap.

Earlier in the passage, after Jesus foretells of his death, Peter is strongly rebuked for fighting to preserve his expectations of Jesus and their ministry:

Peter fell into the trap of trying to save the life he thought he was living for, and in doing so was losing both it and risking his place in the greater role God was calling him to, a life where his work and sacrifice would be at the forefront of ushering in a Kingdom beyond his wildest imagination, one that would extend far beyond Jerusalem, far beyond the farthest reaches of Rome, and into yours and my very lives all these years later.

So, are you spending your days seeking to preserve your own ideal of life? How much of your time is preoccupied with work, and bank accounts, and purchasing the next thing, and reaching the next milestone? Are you spending enough time listening and seeking daily direction from the Lord? Is your day today seated in the furthering of God’s Kingdom, or yours?

“For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”

- Matthew 16:25

We invite you to share your own experiences below for the edification of all: