Nothing to Lose

Meditations for the Season of Advent 

December 1, 2022

Nothing to Lose

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,

    because he has come to his people and redeemed them.”

Luke 1:68 

A wise person once noted, “The Christian never loses, because he has nothing to lose.” Ponder that notion for a moment. I’m smiling as I read that statement because I remember a time when I considered myself down and out, having lost all that I once had and thought defined me. I recall muttering, “Lord, what about my reputation?” I then heard the still small voice of God, “What reputation would that be, son?” Of course! If I truly believed, “For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God,” I had no reputation to lose. (Colossians 3:3)

The life in Christ is completely counter-intuitive, especially when expectations are fueled by our secular culture. Contrary to the popular proclamations of some, Christ was not poor so that we can be rich, he was not mocked so that we can be honored, and he was not laughed at so we can be lauded. The seasons of Advent and Christmas are our celebration of God completely ignoring conventional expectations!

Nathanael spoke for all of Israel when he rhetorically asked, “Can anything good come from that place?” (Nazareth) That the Savior of Israel was born into rags in a cave was beyond the comprehension of the Pharisees and scribes. Maybe the simple-minded shepherds could be deceived, but not so for those well-versed in the law. Do you see the principle the religious people applied to the birth of Christ? It is the same principle that causes so many to stumble today: Jesus, we will follow you if you meet our expectations. The trouble with living by our own expectations is that we have everything to lose and not much to gain.

Only a handful of folks came to celebrate our Savior’s birth. Years later, after many thousands of people had been taught, healed, fed, and blessed by Jesus, only a handful showed up for his execution and burial. So it goes when you spend your life ignoring conventional expectations.

My Takeaway: Even so, I want to be counted among the handful known as the fully-devoted followers of the counter-intuitive Messiah.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.