Whoops There Goes Gravity

We can understand the expression “lose yourself” in different ways. When I read the Bible, I don’t really lose myself. I’m conscious of what I’m reading, and I try to understand it and apply it to my life. And I also like to pick up on statements or incidents that might raise questions. I’m more likely to lose myself in listening to or playing music.

Jesus encourages us to worship God in spirit and truth. That seems to suggest that we should use our minds as we worship, but worship also touches us emotionally. So, perhaps we can lose ourselves to some degree, but it shouldn’t be the main thing.

Sometimes, too, when I’m enjoying some activity, such as writing a blog post, I can lose track of time. It’s similar with games. When I play Demeo or Battlemarked on my Oculus VR headset, I try to limit time spent fighting all the monsters to 30 minutes. But it’s hard to stop. There’s always another monster to fight 😅.

There’s a spiritual sense in which you lose yourself by handing your life over to God, and putting Him first. I like that famous verse spoken by John the Baptist:

John 3:30
³⁰ He must increase, but I must decrease.

And there are some hymns on a similar theme:

Matthew 10:39
³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Here, I don’t think that Jesus is necessarily talking about dying for the Christian cause as most of the apostles did. It’s more about pushing aside your own plans and ambitions and putting God first. But sometimes, your own plans and ambitions might fall into line with what God wants. It’s a matter of seeking His guidance.

Christianity doesn’t teach that we’re eventually absorbed into God or into nothingness. God created us as individuals, and we will remain distinctive creatures for all eternity, with our own characteristics. But in heaven, all the bad aspects will be gone, and the earlier we start becoming like or heavenly selves, the better.

And of course, in hell, I presume that all the good will be gone out of its occupants. Why doesn’t the devil repent and trust in God? Wouldn’t it be in his interest to do so. The short answer is that he is happily entrapped in his hatred for the things of God, regardless of how much he suffers. We get a taste of that in this life when we suffer because of our grudges or anger. I often observe that meditations for mental wellness encourage compassion because the opposite does us little or no good. So, we shouldn’t lose ourselves in bitterness.

Here’s a well-known statement by the Apostle Paul:

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Paul isn’t saying that he’s losing his individuality. It’s more about the that man he was when he was persecuting Christians in God’s name without considering what God was saying and wanting. So, he was pleased to see his old self obliterated and to start a new life of true faith in God through His Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And, I’ll mention a song that someone kindly pointed me to in a comment yesterday. I’d never heard of it, but it always delights me to discover new songs. And this one matches today’s theme. It’s about delighting in your king rather than making yourself king.