“Nothing To Lose”

Baltasar Gracian, a Spanish philosopher, once said, “Never compete with someone who has nothing to lose”. It is true that if you compete with someone who has nothing to lose, you are sure to be defeated in that race. A person who has nothing to lose has no fear. I think there’s a lot of truth in that statement….when we have nothing to lose, we lose our fear of losing what we have.

Jesus says it more perfectly in the Beatitudes. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”(Mt. 6:19-21) 

When you’re broke, you don’t fear losing your money, because you don’t have any money. When your health is shot and you are in your last days, you lose your fear of having bad health and getting sick…hey, I’m already sick…. bring on the Hostess Cupcakes and Burger King.

Our call as Christians is to make Jesus our Lord… the Lord of our life….all I have  belongs to the Lord. With that decision comes peace and joy. My life is in the Lord’s hands. “My” possessions actually belong to the Lord; I’m really the steward of these possessions …. I dispose of them as directed by the Lord. 

When I find myself becoming nervous about these possessions ( “my” house, car, bank account, health, security, family, etc.) it’s a good sign that I’m taking them back from the Lord…. “Oh, I better handle these Jesus…”. When I start to worry, the alarm bells should go off because it’s a sign that I’m grabbing the care and concern for my life back from God.  It’s time to STOP and deliberately give all back to Christ. Jesus, I place my trust in you…all I have belongs to you… you are the LORD of my life…. help me to let go and trust you. I entrust my family and children and grandchildren and friends and our country and church and finances ….. I entrust it all back into your hands. It’s too much for me…I can’t handle these issues and problems on my own. Show me what to do and then give me the grace to do it.

When it’s all back in the Lord’s hands, I have nothing to lose. I can be at peace trusting that the Lord will take care of me and all that’s important to me. Whether I have $100 or $100 million in the bank, my security rests in God. I’m free. 

So, let’s pray for one another that we might trust the Lord for everything…our wellbeing, our children, our country, and especially for the problems that are sitting on our doorsteps this day. He is able to take care of us. And with all in the hands of the Lord, “we have nothing to lose”.