To the Ends of the Earth: Action – Catholic Men's Devotionals, Week 7 – You're a Loser

Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and forfeits his life? Or what shall a man give in return for his life? For the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.”

Matthew 16:24–27

Perhaps one of the biggest insults one man can give another is to call him a loser. When we are told that we are the opposite of a successful, purposeful man, it can cut to the core of who we are. We are driven to succeed, to find purpose in our lives, and to be the best we can be. The message of the cross contradicts our natural inclinations as men. However, Jesus joyfully offers us this blessed paradox: in order to gain eternal life and the treasures of heaven, we must lose our life.

Why is this? Because the whole world is nothing compared with Christ. In him we find every treasure worth possessing. It is not a burden to give up everything in order to live for Christ; it is a blessing, a holy call given to us out of love. In Christ, being a loser becomes the highest prize imaginable!

This week we are going to focus on turning our understanding of loss and gain on its head by considering the following points:

1.         Jesus brings not peace, but a sword.

Jesus never promised us an easy, peaceful life. He said that believing in him would divide families. He said that those who would not take up their cross would be unworthy of him (cf. Mt 10:34–38). He called us to this radical ideal because anyone or anything we love more than God is an idol that leads us away from heaven.

2.         We consider all things a loss to gain Christ.

Our love for Christ fills us with such joy that everything else is rubbish compared with our salvation, as Saint Paul said (cf. Phil 3:8). To the world we are fools because we put Christ first. But once we have experienced his saving power and love, especially through our connection with his Body the Church, we see the charms of this world for the false treasures they truly are.

3.         There are no participation trophies.

We are told to run the race to win, and to go into strict training to accomplish that goal (cf. 1 Cor 9:24–27). The Christian life is not a spectator sport. We are here to win: to win souls for Christ, to win honor for the Church, and to win heaven for ourselves by living out our faith in love. We don’t get a prize merely for participating half-heartedly. We’ve got to be all-in if we are to cross the finish line and reach the goal of heaven. It is all or nothing for Christ.

4.         God sticks by those who carry on the fight.

God calls us to be strong and courageous. Though we appear weak and insignificant by worldly standards, we have our heavenly Father on our side. He will never leave us nor forsake us (cf. Dt 31:6; Jo 1:9). Therefore, we never need to be afraid of losing, because God gives us his victory.

5.         Hope turns weaklings into eagles.

When we accept our weakness and put our trust in the Lord, we find renewed strength to continue the journey. In fact, we soar on wings like eagles. We run without stopping. We walk and do not faint (cf. Is 40:31). In Christ we experience moments of glory, days of passion, and times of refreshment because he is our strength and our victory.

A Call to Action

Real men witness through their weakness, which God turns into strength. We admit our need for God, our connection to the Body of Christ, and our dependence on the Holy Spirit to guide our lives. We exist in a place where God is our ultimate support and strength. By our example we show others that they too can experience the same strength in Jesus.

In the eyes of the world we may appear to be losers. But if we live our radical call with authentic love, our joy will be irresistible. Our witness will draw others to wonder what it is that brings us such joy, and they will want to tap into that same power that fuels our authentic lives. No one ever discovered true joy living merely by worldly standards of success. Remember that when we are caught up in the strength of the Almighty, there is nothing that can stop us.

You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE