Loss

…everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as loss (garbage) so that I may have Christ Jesus and become one with Him. Philippians 3

I was in Philadelphia recently. As I walked the city, taking in the history, I was continually struck by one thing: from young to old, the leaders of our fledgling country were wholly committed.

Washington stayed at freezing Valley Forge with his army, because to leave meant loss.

Franklin spent weeks of dangerous travel to France convincing them to join in the new country’s fight, because to stay home meant loss.

Heroes signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, knowing if revolution failed, they would each hang; but not to sign would mean loss.

Wives agreed, knowing that if revolution failed, they would likely be left destitute; but not to agree would mean loss.

Against heavy odds, they were determined, and today the “free” republic of America is the result.

“Now it came about when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up, and saw a man standing opposite him with his sword drawn, and Joshua said to him, ‘Are you for us or for our enemies?’ He said, ‘No, I have come as captain of the army of The Lord.’ Joshua fell on his face, and bowed down, and said, ‘What has my Lord to me?’ And the captain of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, ‘Remove your sandals, for the place where you are is holy.’ AND JOSHUA DID SO.” Joshua 5

Joshua determined right then how he was going to respond to whatever situation he met. He determined to listen, receive, and do whatever the Lord said.

Joshua had many opportunities to learn this.

He and Caleb said “yes” to entering the promised land.

He watched all his friends who had left slavery in Egypt die in the wilderness because of their “no” to entering into the land.

He said “yes” to leading after Moses’ death even though he was scared. When he said “yes,” God spoke courage into him.

Why? Because any other response meant loss.

Joshua determined to be “all in” with God, no matter what.

“Loss” is a powerful word.

The kind of loss that we are talking about here is a HUGE word. We are talking about losing EVERYTHING—reputation, wealth, and even life.

Heroes have something in common. Like Joshua, through years of saying “yes,” or by saying “yes” in the moment of need: determining to say “yes” precedes action.

Are you determined to follow Jesus today?

Have you signed your name to a spiritual Declaration of Dependence?

Have you decided to count everything as “loss”?

Have you determined to go “all in” today?

Have you determined to say “yes” to whatever the Lord says today?

Every other road leads to loss.

What’s it going to be? The path of hero or commoner?

You have been prayed for today.