Paradox: Seeing Gains as Losses

When I survey the wondrous cross
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
By: Isaac Watts, 1674-1748

Listen as you read. This is a nice instrumental version.

Having surveyed the cross a bit in Tuesday’s Tuning, inviting our heart to come back to a place of wonder, now turn your mind to the discipline of embracing the implications of the cross for your daily living in these Thursday Thoughts.

The Prince of Glory

A quick search of several different translations turned up zero occurrences of this name for Jesus. While the King James refers to God as the “Lord of glory” in I Corinthians 2:8, nowhere is the phrase “Prince of glory” found in Scripture. I find that interesting because it is such an apt name for Christ.

When you think of Jesus, what is your first thought of Him? Healing the sick? Feeding the thousands? Walking on water? Maybe even suffering on the cross? Is it something like this image? I must confess, it is not my first thought, yet what a powerful default mental image to conjure. I suppose there are times in exuberant worship I have thought of Jesus like this, but not often enough.

What a beautiful image to create with his words to contrast the treatment He deserved with the treatment He received. I want to come back to this image in my mind so as to cultivate a loftier view of Jesus in the days ahead. I am thankful to Watts for using it, and maybe even creating it, but am far more thankful to Jesus for being it, yet humbling Himself to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Though I want to imagine Jesus like this more often, I do not want to lose another way of viewing Him that I often return to, which allows me to rightly see so many other things.

Backdrop of the Cross

Though the wonder and grandeur of the person of Jesus Christ and His unparalleled work on the cross are remarkable in and of themselves, I think it is imperative that we also learn to see all of life through another lens.

“I always view my circumstances against the backdrop of the cross, where God demonstrated once and for all His deep love for me.” Henry Blackaby, Experiencing God

For years I have returned to this practice to help contextualize things I have faced. What Blackaby is encouraging here is the development of the ability or discipline to see everything, or better yet, interpret everything in light of the reality of the cross of Jesus Christ. The cross changed the course of human history so it certainly has implications on the circumstances of my life.

Gains as Losses

The Christian Life is full of paradoxes.

die to live
give to receive
love your enemies
gains as losses

When I see the cross accurately for what it represents, the love of God on full display, I am left with little choice but to consider my “richest gains” as loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ. But how do I do that practically?

When something is valuable to you, you treat it as such. You protect it. Defend it. Spend time just thinking about it. When we esteem to0 highly any of our gains, things we have earned or maybe simply been given, things can get out of balance. It is not long before other things of value in our lives suffer from our inability to maintain a healthy perspective.

Ridiculous example. Netflix and sleep. Many of us have shows we like to watch. Sometimes we stay up later than we should to enjoy another episode. We let our desire to be entertained outweigh other things of value, namely in our example, sleep. Yes, I have been guilty of this in case you are wondering. I know it is a silly example, but hopefully it illustrates the danger, and the opportunity.

What gains, or things of value, might it profit you to consider as loss? Maybe it’s another Netflix episode. Maybe is something far more valuable. Nothing compares with what you will actually gain by considering those things rightly. Oh for the ability to survey the cross like that. Holy Spirit, help us.

Jesus, thank You laying down Your life on the cross. It is wonderful indeed, and I know that full well. But I long to know it more. Help me to think rightly of the gains in my life, and to even consider them as losses, if that means I will now You more. In Jesus name. Amen.

Joyful Thinking!

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Subscribers enjoy this podcast! Everyone else, the transcript below.

Podcast 4.1 Transcript

Welcome to Thursday Thoughts at Resonant 7, where we reflect on the reality of God and resolve to let it resound in our lives, repeatedly. Let’s think about this.

When I survey the wondrous cross

1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV

For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

How wondrous to see the cross of Jesus Christ for what it truly is, a symbol of His love for us. Once it was folly to you, but now the power of God. Thank Jesus for giving you eyes of faith to not only see, but rightly appraise the value of His cross.

On which the Prince of glory died,

Philippians 2:6-8 ESV

though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

Jesus had to condescend so far just to become like us, because He was after all the Prince of glory. But His humbling did not stop there. The Ever-Living God died for us. Our minds can barely conceive the wonder of His love. Thank Him for dying for you.

My richest gain I count but loss,

Philippians 3:8 ESV

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

So whatever was to my profit or gain I consider as loss that I may know Christ. Ask Him to help you rightly value your accomplishments, and His.

And pour contempt on all my pride.

Proverbs 11:2 ESV

When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.

Oh that we would routinely see our pride with scorn, as opposed to defending it. Pride is disgraceful, but never more clearly than when juxtaposed with the humility of Christ. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you acknowledge and deal with your pride.

Take a few moments to talk to Jesus about what has come to your mind, or listen to what He is saying to you, then I will read our text once more.