It is common to hear people, especially those that are confused or those that are on a "journey", say that they are trying to "find" themselves. This journey to "finding" of oneself is usually filled with all types of asinine pursuits, foolish relationships and bad choices. Finding yourself is usually that period of time that we are alienated from God and are looking for some type of purpose in life. I have been on this quest to "find" myself and realized that outside of Jesus, the pursuit of your true identity is futile. Jesus Christ replaces that old identity with an identity that is inherited from Him and is constantly being conformed to His image.
Luke 9:24 says that the one that tries to "find" his life or "save" his life will lose it. That's a simple statement. When we are trying to "find" ourselves, we are in effect trying to save our own lives. We are trying to ensure that some defining trait is maintained or we are trying to develop a sense of who we are so that the world will recognize us. Jesus says, point blank, this is folly and will only end up leading to death. The life that we are seeking to save and find outside of Christ is, for all intents and purposes, worthless.
Jesus follows up the a clause f Luke 9:24 with an even greater statement: "however, the one that loses his life on my account, while save it to eternal life." Here, the same word for lose is used which alludes to two things: 1. If my physical life is destroyed on the account of my relationship with Christ, I will be ok and 2. My life does not belong to me, it belongs to Christ. My identity is with Christ and therefore, the life that I am trying to find cannot actually be found- Christ must indeed find me. The bible says in Galatians 6:14 that as Christians, we are crucified to the world and the world is crucified to us.
Can you see the paradox? Trying to save your life, trying to find yourself and live independently of Christ will result in the exact opposite. As bad as you might want it and as bad as you desire to be autonomous, apart from Christ we are doomed to a life of mediocrity and death. However, the one that will lose his life...this one will prosper. This one will inherit eternal life because not only have they identified with Jesus, they have forsaken their own identity to do so. When we forsake all else for the sake of the cross, we become lost to those that do not understand the power of God in Christ. We become an aroma of death and a stinch (2 Cor 3:15,16) to those that are perishing trying to hold on to their last bit of themselves.
The paradox here is that if I find myself, then I am lost- but if I am lost for the sake of Christ, then I am found. If I try to preserve my own life in this world, I forego the preservation that God offers through Christ. The bible says in 1 Tim 4:10 that God is the Savior, i.e. the physical and spiritual sustainer of all men, especially of believers. Why would I give up the riches of God's grace in order to chase the dragon of "self"? I would much rather be lost in Christ and to be found in the world.
Therefore, the quest for my existence, should end with Christ. It should not end trying to become one with myself, looking for Zen or feng shui or "inner peace" but it should end with me realizing that there is nothing redemptive within me. All redemption and validation comes from Jesus. If you are reading this and you are on that quest to become one with yourself and to maintain the status quo, consider this, you will never be as satisfied with yourself and you will be with Jesus. Get off the hamster wheel and lose your life for Christ. God's grace and peace be upon you.
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