TLIC Family. Day 278. October 5: That I may gain Christ.

THINK TOGETHER

What is something you have that you would be sad if you lost it?

READ TOGETHER

Sometimes losing is winning.

And sometimes winning is losing.

Jesus had to lose everything to win. He had to leave Heaven and die on the cross in order to gain you and me. His life teaches us this backwards truth – to win Jesus we must be willing to lose everything else, just like he did in order to win us.

Read these verses from Philippians together to see how Paul explains this idea.

Philippians 3:7-9. ⁷ But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. ⁸ Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ ⁹ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith

Paul was OK with losing things. He didn’t hold on tight to anything? He knew that in this life things can come and they can go. Everything you have can be lost. And things you want you may never get. As you grow up this will be an important lesson to learn.

But another important lesson to learn is that Jesus is something that you will always have and never. Ever lose. When you trust in Jesus he becomes not only your savior from sin, but also your best friend forever. He will never leave you and never forsake you. You cannot lose Jesus no matter what you do or fail to do. Why? Because, like we said, Jesus lost everything so that he could win us.

How did you answer the “Think Together” question above? What do you have that you would be sad if you lost it?

It’s OK to be sad when we lose things. But what Jesus wants us to know is that losing things is also an opportunity to trust him more and to let him be what makes you happy – instead of the thing that we lost.

Jesus lost a lot for you. And Paul lost a lot for Jesus. But what both Jesus and Paul knew is that in the end we get everything back. Jesus made sure of that when he rose from the dead.

Because of Jesus in the end we will have everything we ever wanted and needed.

With Jesus even when we lose things we can learn to trust Jesus more.

DO SOMETHING TOGETHER

Watch this scene from Cars. Lightning McQueen loses in order to win. What did he gain from losing?

PRAY TOGETHER

Jesus,

You gave up everything so that you could have us. Help me to be able to lose little and big things in order to trust and love you more.

Amen.

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