These five paradoxes illustrate how contrary the Christian life is to life outside God’s plan and wisdom.

We Die to Live.

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. ^{John 12:25}

Those who prioritize their own interests over God, clinging dearly to temporary pleasures and fleeting satisfaction, will ultimately perish in their sin. To follow Christ, you must put your old secular and sinful life to death. You must “hate’ your old life in this world to fully pursue God’s will, focusing instead on the incomparable, eternal inheritance that awaits in Heaven. While the cost of such a transformation may seem awfully steep, it is not. When you give your life to Jesus, you exchange a futile and vain existence, bowing to a malevolent taskmaster for the love of a forgiving God. As his adopted children, we carry a light burden, and our souls find rest in the loving grace of God.

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. ^{Matthew 11:28-30}

We are Strong when We are Weak. 

And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. ^{2nd Corinthians 12:9-10}

When our circumstances are favorable and we succeed in life’s pursuits, we often depend less on God. But when we feel weak and overwhelmed by life’s challenges or misfortune, we become humbled and more open to the will of God. We turn to him for strength, wisdom, and endurance. Through his strength, we build righteous character amid adversity. We are grateful for the humbling experiences, his grace that helps us endure trials, and his strength when we are weak.

We Give to Prosper

Now I say this: the one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows generously will also reap generously. ^{2nd Corinthians 9:6}

Generous giving is a hallmark of true Christianity, in contrast to the human instinct to hoard wealth. Joyfully giving from the heart is a beautiful testimony of faith and tangible proof of your love for and trust in God. I can personally attest that generosity has a profound impact on both tangible and intangible prosperity. You will find you cannot outgive God when you give something meaningful with the right intentions.

Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.  ^{Luke 6:38}

Greatness is Found in Humility 

But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted. ^{Matthew 23:11-12}

The world often suggests that greatness comes from pride, power, and dominance. However, Jesus teaches that true greatness is found in humility and serving others. He, the highest authority, exemplified this humility by humbling himself to the point of death, offering salvation from sin to the world through his sacrifice. Achievements gained through ungrateful arrogance are repulsive, while accomplishments rooted in humble service reflect the nature of Christ.  

He who has, More will be Given, He who has Little, it will be Taken Away

He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. ^{Matthew 13:11-12}

Those who have faith in the truth of God’s word will receive greater enlightenment, illumination, and revelation. Conversely, those who do not believe and have rejected Jesus will find that any light they have will be taken away. The longer you refuse Jesus, the more you will be surrendered to a reprobate, profane, and perverted mind, and the deeper your pit of darkness becomes.

A Quote from Tozer

Christians are or should be distinctly different from people without Christ as they live these paradoxes. I love this from A.W. Tozer’s book The Root of the Righteous:

“A real Christian is an odd number anyway. He feels supreme love for One whom he has never seen, talks familiarly every day to Someone he cannot see, expects to go to Heaven on the virtue of Another, empties himself in order to be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes down in order to get up, is strongest when he is weakest, richest when he is poorest, and happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible, hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge. And all the while he may be confounding his critics by his unbelievable practicality: his farm may be the most productive, his business the best managed, and his mechanical skill the sharpest of anyone in the neighborhood.

The man who has met God is not looking for something – he has found it; he is not searching for light – upon him, the Light has already shined. His certainty may seem bigoted, but his is the assurance of one who knows by experience. His religion is not one of hearsay, he is not a copy, not a facsimile print; he is an original from the hand of the Holy Ghost.

We have not described a superior saint – merely a true Christian, far from perfect and with much yet to learn, but his firsthand acquaintance with God saves him from the nervous scramble in which the world is engaged and which is popularly touted as progress.

No doubt we shall hear many a tin whistle and see many a parade bravely marching off toward the Four Freedoms or the United Brotherhood of Mankind or the Age of Atomic Progress, and we will be expected to fall in step. Let’s be cautious. We are waiting for the trumpet note that will call us away from the hurly-burly and set in motion a series of events that will result, at last, in a new Heaven and a new earth.

We can afford to wait.”