Minding Your Math:
Subtract to Add

Scripture Reading:  Matthew 10:40-42

Key Verse: Matthew 10:39

Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

In the next few days we are going to study a new math!  This math is from the Bible and is counter-intuitive to our minds.  We have been trained to see life in terms of the worldly math that says any addition adds up to more.  It makes sense to us when the world says to take away things means I lose; I have less.  God offers a different kind of math, where we actually get more by subtracting.

            Jesus told those who had gathered Him that if they wanted to find their lives, they needed to lose their life for His sake.  In this new math, adding actually subtracts.  Jesus says if we try to find life on our own, we will lose it.  This life in Christ is not about pulling ourselves up “by the boot straps,” gritting our teeth and determining to drop all bad habits and sinfulness.  This life in Christ is a simple life that nourishes our deepest spiritual hungers.  When we do that, our less satisfying (time killing) soft addictions slowly fade away.  We subtract the surface junk that can consume us by “adding” more life giving activities.  As the old chorus says: “and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.”
            We are going to look at ways to add more of His glory and grace so that we subtract more of our soft addictions.

Father, I want my life to be full of you—full of your glory—full of your life.  Open my eyes to see more of you!  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.