Lose to Gain

For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself? 
Luke 9:25

Sometimes, you have to be willing to lose in order to gain.  Consider the story of Abraham in Genesis 22 of the Bible.  God told Abraham to take his only son and offer him for a burnt offering unto the Lord.  Abraham did not hesitate and God ultimately told him not to sacrifice his only son Isaac.  In the end, God told Abraham, "because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven" (Genesis 22:16-17).  Abraham gave God his best out of a pure heart not knowing that because of his willingness to give his best, God would ultimately reward him with much more!  Often, you have to be willing to lose in order to gain.  If you are a mother for example, and are constantly worried about losing your child, you will always be tormented with the fear that your child might die.  If you are a business person that is always concerned about your company going bankrupt for example, you will always fear that your company will run out of money and might also try to take unethical shortcuts in order to ensure your company's continued success.  A person in an unhealthy relationship might do whatever is necessary to preserve the relationship compromising their integrity and losing their own identity in the process.  You have to cast your cares on the Lord (1 Peter 5:7), let go of the fear of losing something, and be willing to lose it!  Hebrews 2:15 states that Jesus delivered us "who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."  You will remain bound to whatever fear you harbor!  Even though you may remain in a relationship as illustrated in the preceding example, you might always be afraid that you will lose it and lose yourself in the process.  As a Christian with God in your life, you have already gained everything so don't be afraid to lose!