How To Lose Your Life for Jesus!
© 2000 Kimberly Cole
Permission is given for use in any non-profit church function.
Matt: Hey! Wait a minute! Where are you going in such a hurry?
Mary: Oh, hi, Matt! I was just running an errand for Mrs.
Higgens. She’s that lady that lives next store to me, you
know she’s sick.
Matt: Yeah, I heard that she was sick.
Mary: I’m going to the store for her. She needs some
potatoes and eggs.
Matt: You’re awfully ambitious. How come your going to the
store for her? If you didn’t somebody else would.
Mary: Your probably right. But if they did, I couldn’t!
Matt: You couldn’t? Is something wrong with you? Do you want
to do something you don’t have to do?
Mary: As a matter of fact I do!
Matt: Boy! I sure wouldn’t! I’m too busy doing my own
things to bother with anybody else’s.
Mary: Do you remember that Bible verse we learned last Sunday?
Matt: Oh, kinda. Let’s see, it was about losing your life,
wasn’t it? Why? What does that have to do with you going to
the store for Mrs. Higgens?
Mary: You remember the verse, “ He that findeth his life
shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find
it.” It’s in Matthew 10:39.
Matt: He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth
his life for my sake shall find it.” Yeah, that’s
Matthew 10:39, all right. But what does that have to do with you
going to the store for Mrs. Higgens?
Mary: Oh, Matt, you must not have listened when our teacher
explained that verse in class last Sunday. You should pay
attention , when you go to church.
Matt: Oh, maybe. But sometimes I get tired. It’s not easy
for me to sit still very long, you know.
Mary: But if you tried to sit still, you could. And anyway, if
you sat still, you’d learn a lot more.
Matt: Come on, Mary, tell me what “He that findeth his life
shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find
it.” Means.
Mary: Well, okay. In the first place, it’s Jesus who is
talking.
Matt: Jesus, huh? Well it must be important, then. But I sure
can’t figure out what it means.
Mary: Well, I’ll try to explain it to you, but you listen
better next time our teacher explains something!
Matt: Okay, I’ll try.
Mary: Well, Jesus is telling his disciples that He wants them to
do things for him.
Matt: (Thoughtfully) Yeah.
Mary: Jesus wanted His disciples to give their whole lives to
Him. He said that if they would, they’d have a reward in
heaven.
Matt: How could they give their whole lives to Him?
Mary: By doing things for Him. Like telling other people about
him, and doing good things because He said to do them.
Matt: But I don’t have time to do stuff for other people all
the time. I don’t want to give my things up!
Mary: That’s just what Jesus is saying. You really
aren’t giving anything worthwhile up. Because if you do just
your own things they’ll be forgotten. But if you do things
for Jesus, He remembers them.
Matt: That doesn’t sound like much fun to me! Mary: No, I
guess it doesn’t. But the funny thing about it is that if
you do what Jesus wants you to do, you’re much happier right
here on earth. And you don’t miss out on a thing, because
you stop wanting to do all that other stuff!
Matt: Well, I don’t know.
Mary: Does Jesus want anything bad for you?
Matt: No!
Mary: Well, just believe what He says, and do it! Then
you’ll see how much fun it is!
Matt: Everything Jesus said is true, all right. So-o-o. Okay.
I’ll give it a chance!
Mary: Let’s say that verse over again.
Matt: Okay.
Matt & Mary: “He that findeth his life shall lose it;
and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.”
Matthew 10:39
Matt: (Looking out and the kids) Hey, boys and girls, why
don’t you say it with us too? Ready?
Everybody: “He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he
that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.” Matthew
10:39
Matt: Let’s work on that verse, boys and girls. If Jesus
said it, it must be right!
Mary: Yes, you better work on it. But in the meantime, I’d
better hurry, so I can get Mrs. Higgens eggs and potatoes.
Matt: Hey, wait, Mary, I want to go with you. I want to start
doing things for Jesus, too!