Gains vs. Losses

Gain vs. Loss

I would venture to say that all of us have a fundamental understanding of the concept of gains and losses. Even though we may not completely understand the psychology behind what drives gains or losses we have all experienced it to some extent or another. The fact remains certain that if you are reading this post you are right now in the midst of an exchange between a gain and a loss. While some might opt for sleep, others decline the gain of rest and reach forth to gain an inside look at what Tim Rivers has to say about gains and losses. Every one makes decisions about what we would be willing to give up in order to gain another. However, in every case where there is a gain its predecessor is a loss. You might not agree with that concept, but stop and think about it. For example, if you are gaining knowledge at an accredited College or University you are losing other opportunities that might give way for income during the time your spending reading text books.

The terms gains and losses are very familiar in the field of accounting. They are the very foundation of accounting and economics. The terms gains and losses are also referred to debits and credit. To come up with a balanced account debits must equal credits. Our entire country is build around the idea of gains and losses. We fight wars based on what we are going to gain and what we are willing to lose. We sign contracts that give us a greater gain compared to our loss. Many marriages are sadly built on this comparison concept. Many men and women enter relationships only because of what they are able to gain from it and it isn’t long before they find out that both of them are losing more than they anticipated gaining and thus the divorce rate is sky high. The reality is that gains and losses exist in every aspect of our lives.

Although many say that the concept and use of the gains vs. losses theory is a fairly new idea. In reality this concept goes back to the very beginning of time. God created Adam and Eve in the garden with the tools needed to accomplish extra-ordinary things. The only restriction given to them is that they should not eat of the tree of knowledge and evil. Their gain was that they would be the earthly representatives of God in the earth and their loss was that they did not have permission to eat of the forbidden fruit. However, Adam and Eve chose to eat of the fruit because they were under the influence that to gain equality with God was as simple as eating the fruit and yet the opposite happened. They gained knowledge of their nakedness and lost the perfect fellowship they had with their creator.

This idea of gains and losses is especially prevalent in the New Testament with the powerful, life altering beginning of Christ’s ministry in the earth. The greatest example of exchange is declared in Philippians 2:5-8;

Php 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Php 2:6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:
Php 2:7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
Php 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

What an amazing example of a gain vs. a loss. Jesus’ ministry was constantly calling for the loss of one thing in order to gain another. When Jesus began to call his disciples he didn’t give them a list of benefits and a retirement package, he simply called to Peter, Andrew, James and John to lose their nets and gain an opportunity to be fishers of men. He called Matthew to lose the seat of tax collector to gain the ministry of basket collecting. All throughout the scriptures we find Christ calling for men and women to lose their former way of living and current position to gain fellowship with God.

However, there is a vast difference in the gains vs. losses that we have grown so accustomed to. According to most individuals as long as gains and losses are equal life isn’t so bad. But in reality most people are more aware of the loss than the potential gain. This is why Marketers will spend millions of dollars per year to try and build a great enough need within the consumer that they will concentrate more attention on what they might gain as opposed to what they will lose.

The Kingdom of God is unlike the ways of men. The Bible completely destroys our weak concept of what gains are and what a loss is. The Government of Christ doesn’t run like the so-called democratic political entities of this world. The Bible boldly declares that in order to gain eternal life you must lose your own life. This unapologetic, bold declaration to follow, even called for one young man to sell all that he had and follow after Christ. The catch however, is that the gain is greater than the loss. When God asks for your life, he gives you life that is incomparable in return. That’s why Jesus told the woman at the well that the water which he gives will never run dry.

As you read this post, I hope you are able to think about what you had to lose in the last few weeks and months concerning the kingdom of God. I know that you might not understand God’s process of math, but I promise you this one thing, in God’s books debits never equal credits.

Php 3:7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
Php 3:8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
Php 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: