GAINING THROUGH LOSS

SUNDAY SERVICE

God works through people who are willing to loose

Pastor Maselo Mosomane

“By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:24-27

Here is a man who grew up surrounded by all the benefits of the king’s palace; a man who was raised as an Egyptian. To be an Egyptian would afford one an imperial state or position at that time . This is a man who received the best education the world could offer at the time. But he imposed sanctions upon himself; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. His name was Moses.

Here we see a perfect picture of a man who was willing to loose with the hope of gaining in the end. The bible stresses that Moses did all these by faith. The statement “by faith” means; “trusting God.” Let us insert this understanding in the above scripture and hear what it says. (Trusting God) Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.

Moses trusted God so much that the pain and embarrassment of loss could not overweigh the awaiting reward he anticipated by faith. When our faith and expectation is in God; it doesn't matter how much loss we incur in the process. Moses stripped off himself all the delicacies and privileges of Egypt. He compared what he had with what he stands to gain and he concluded that it is better to suffer with the people of God than to enjoy with the enemy. He chose a hard life with God’s people rather than an opportunistic soft life of sin with the oppressors. He valued suffering in the Messiah’s camp far greater than Egyptian wealth because he was looking ahead, anticipating the payoff.

This is the choice we must make every day. Our everyday life must comprise of such decisions every conscious moment we are here on earth – to loose with God or to gain with the enemy. In Moses we see a better choice, a choice to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin with the devil.

There are opportunities we must let go. If an opportunity requires you to do things God won;t be pleased with, better let go and suffer loss with a clear conscience. Why would you do things you would be ashamed of for the rest of your life just because you wanted to win a so-called rarest opportunity? Why would you sell yourself for a job? Do you want that promotion so badly that you would give yourself to a filthy boss? I’ll tell you; make up your mind and take that hard decision! Say I would rather loose with God than gain with the devil.

There is another thing we must know. It is important to learn that there are two perspectives in the world. There is a spiritual perspective which I would call an “S” mode. This is a God-kind of perspective. He who sees things from this perspective see things the way God sees them. We know from the word of God how God sees certain things and what He says about them.

There is also a worldly perspective. I would call it a “W” mode. This is a world’s way of seeing things. When many people see  "w" they  think of  a 'fill in the missing words test.' They quickly fill in 'in' to come out with 'win.' Do not be deceived. "W" mode does not stand for "win" as many people are made to believe. Things in this perspective are seen and understood according to what physical senses interpret. This perspective is informed by the world around us – circumstances, public opinion, opportunities, thoughts and the like. From which perspective are you looking at your life? On which mode are you running your life?

People who run their lives on “W” mode grabs whatever comes their way. They don’t want to lose anything. For a season they look like they are winning but as time goes on they realize that what they thought was a winning formula is nothing but a mirrage. Jesus said “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” Mark 8:36. We might as well paraphrase it and say, what will it profit a man to grab all the opportunities in the world and become wealthy but loose his wife and children?

I would rather run my life of “S” mode than on "W" mode. In the world of automatic vehicles “S” stands for “Stop” and this misleads many people. They think that when you are on “S” mode you are stagnating – you have come to a halt. No my friend; “S” mode is a spiritual mode. When you are in this mode you soar with wings like an eagle; you run and not get wearied; you walk and not faint. When Moses obscured into the Midianite wilderness; from the world perspective that was the end of him. When he was blocked by the Red Sea with the children of Israel it was culpable homicide. When he smote the rock for water to gush out it was foolishness. When he spent forty days and forty nights on the mountain it was suicide - hence the people said “as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” Exodus 32:1.