In trying to gain too much, we end up losing.

When I was still a child, I often heard adults say that in trying to gain too much, we lose. They said this about people who wanted to gain much more than what they were entitled to. They also spoke about people who could be described as greedy. Once I became a citizen of the Kingdom of God and started to take an interest in the Holy Scriptures, I discovered that the Bible also promises loss to those who want to gain. The only difference between what I heard the adults say and what I discovered in the Holy Scriptures is that one does not need to want to gain a lot to lose. It is enough to want to gain, that is, to refuse to lose, to distance oneself from gain or victory.

“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25

I find this truth to be a mystery. It surpasses all logic and human reasoning. It is divine wisdom, totally opposed to human wisdom because God made it known to us that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9

I quickly learned not always to try to understand God’s thought before accepting to put His Word into practice. The mere fact that He is God is enough for me to do what He recommends instead of trusting my own wisdom or that of another human being. If God says that it is by accepting to lose that we gain, it means that it is the truth.

“God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” Numbers 23:19

“Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: ‘So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.’” Romans 3:4

Many have gained because they accepted to lose:

Hannah

Hannah gained fertility and a multitude of children because she accepted to totally dedicate the child that God would give her.

“And she made a vow, saying, ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.’” 1 Samuel 1:11

Abraham

Abraham became the father of nations because he accepted to lose Isaac, the son of the promise.

“When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, ‘Abraham! Abraham!’ ‘Here I am,’ he replied. ‘Do not lay a hand on the boy,’ he said. ‘Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.’ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’ The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, ‘I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.’” Genesis 22:9-18

If Abraham had not accepted to give His only son, he would not have been the one through whom all nations are blessed.

Daniel

Daniel accepted to lose his own life for the sake of the Kingdom by refusing to bow down to idols. He chose to die rather than compromise.

“Then these men went as a group and found Daniel praying and asking God for help. So they went to the king and spoke to him about his royal decree: ‘Did you not publish a decree that during the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human being except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the lions’ den?’ The king answered, ‘The decree stands—in accordance with the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be repealed.’ Then they said to the king, ‘Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.’” Daniel 6:11-13

“I issue a decree that in every part of my kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel. For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions. So Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.” Daniel 6:26-28

David

The Holy Scriptures show that David was a victim of jealousy from his mentor named Saul. The latter did everything to kill David, unsuccessfully. While Saul and his team were pursuing David to kill him, the Lord allowed David to catch Saul and his men asleep. David had the opportunity to regain his freedom by killing his enemy. But instead of seeking his own interest, he accepted to lose. By accepting to lose, he was qualified to reign as king over the people of Israel.

“When David finished saying this, Saul asked, ‘Is that your voice, David my son?’ And he wept aloud. ‘You are more righteous than I,’ he said. ‘You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told me about the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not kill off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.’” 1 Samuel 24:16-21

Joseph

Joseph was falsely accused of attempting to rape his master’s wife. The master decided to put Joseph in prison for many years for a crime he did not commit. Joseph accepted to lose because during his stay in prison, he did not complain about his master or the latter’s wife. By accepting to lose, he found himself on a path that led him to become the most powerful man in Egypt.

(Read Genesis 39:7-20; Genesis 41:37-44)

A spouse who accepts to lose

When one spouse accepts to lose in a couple, the entire couple benefits from peace. The war can hardly continue when one party voluntarily accepts defeat. This is what happens in a couple when one spouse accepts to lose so that the other can win. The attitude of the spouse who accepts to lose will always push the Lord to intervene in this couple and pour out peace, joy, and happiness in addition to transforming the one who loved conflicts.

“Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” 1 Peter 3:1-4

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela is recognized as one of the most respected leaders in the world. He is one of the few to have achieved universal admiration. He was celebrated across the globe and by all socio-economic and cultural classes. His notoriety and the respect everyone shows him do not come from his charisma, finances, knowledge, or similar things.

Nelson Mandela marked his generation because he accepted to lose 28 years in prison so that his people could regain their freedom. Nothing obliged this leader to accept such a loss. He chose to do it because it was the best way to win. The one who accepts to lose wins. What Nelson Mandela gained exceeds everything he could have thought or imagined. In addition to his personal elevation, his people regained the freedom that no one was ready to give them. This is how Nelson Mandela entered history forever. By accepting to lose his life, he gained a lot.

Companies that accept to lose

In the world of entrepreneurship, we generally find two types of companies: those that aim to make a lot of money and those that want to do the most good for their customers. Companies focused on profit seek ways to make the largest margins while those focused on customer well-being seek ways to increase customer satisfaction.

You will notice, for example, that companies that only aim for profit will not have a quality customer service department due to budget constraints. Companies that aim for customer well-being will do everything to have high-quality customer service, regardless of the financial cost.

In other words, customer-focused companies accept to lose so that their customers win. Accepting to lose generally guarantees them extraordinary longevity, which is not the case for the other type of companies. Where the lifespan of profit-focused companies can be estimated at a few years, companies that accept to lose easily become centenarians.

If we also want to know great success like the aforementioned figures, we must also learn to lose. It is by accepting to lose that we attract great treasures…

This text is an excerpt from the book “ACCEPT TO LOSE TO SUCCEED BETTER” written by Dominique MBOG.

We invite you to read the following article “An Excellent Way to Help Others.”