I would add not as a corrective but as a correlative some additional thoughts on gain and loss.

First are Jesus’ words to Peter and the others after Peter’s profession of faith (“But who do you say that I am?” “You are the Christ.”): “For whoever would save his life will lose it; and whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” (Mark 8:38)

And then Paul’s understanding of gain and loss in God’s economy. In Philippians 1:21 he says he regards the prospect of the loss of life to be a gain and in 3:7-8 the gains of Pharisaical righteousness to be a loss.

Loss and gain in the Kingdom is not what we might imagine it to be.

Bill

I would just like to submit that in order to do good and share with others, we might have to suffer a loss of some sort–maybe those trips to Starbucks have to diminish or it might mean driving the rustbucket another year. I think true sacrifice should be at a cost. I am reminded of David’s words to Araunah the Jebusite: “I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing” (2 Samuel 24:24). Even sacrifices of praise and love are just that: they are a relinquishing of what Oswald Chambers refers to as “our right to ourselves.” There is a sense of joy in doing it, if our motives and priorities are appropriate, but I do believe it involves some sort of loss to self.