He who loses his life for My sake will find it. (Matthew 10:39)

Have you ever felt lost in a crowd? You look around and see the people, hear the sounds, feel the hustle and bustle of life around you…and yet, you feel lost. You are caught in the flow of everything beyond yourself, and for a fleeting moment you don’t know where you are or where you fit-in amid the cacophony of life all around you. You’re not alone, but you feel lost.

It’s a surreal feeling, the feeling of being lost to yourself…lost when you are with others but still out-of-sorts with who and where you are at that moment. An odd experience of self-awareness that leads you to viscerally sense the gravity and big-ness of everything around you…and the small-ness of yourself. Read that last bit again. An odd experience of self-awareness that leads you to viscerally sense the gravity and big-ness of everything around you…and the small-ness of yourself.

Would you believe this is what Jesus wants for your life? Does it seem odd to consider that Jesus is possibly closer to you than ever when you feel the most lost and unsure of yourself?

You are unsure of how you connect to everything and everyone around you, and feeling, well…lost to yourself. And yet, it’s at that moment that the door for a divine encounter presents itself to you. When you feel lost even to yourself, it is then that you can step through – step out of – yourself and into God’s presence. You experience it for just a moment at first, and then a little longer, until you finally realize that being lost to yourself is really the key to finding your true self and to living in God’s presence.

It is through the door of losing yourself, and only through that door, that you will find the identity God desires for you. A desire which is rooted in His love and purposes, and drips with abundance of mercy, grace, and healing. What you and I lack in ourselves, we find when we lose ourselves to Him. We may feel lost in the crowd, but losing ourselves may just be – is – the first step to finding God.

Dr. Thomas J. Gentry (aka., TJ Gentry) serves as the pastor of First Christian Church of West Frankfort, Illinois, the Executive Editor of MoralApologetics.com, and Executive VP of Bellator Christi Ministries. Dr. Gentry is a world-class scholar holding 5 doctorate degrees and 6 masters degrees. Additionally, he is a prolific writer as he has published 7 books including Pulpit Apologist, Absent from the Body, Present with the Lord, and You Shall Be My Witnesses: Reflections on Sharing the Gospel. Be on the lookout for two additional books that he will soon publish. In addition to his impressive resume, Dr. Gentry proudly served his country as an officer in the United States Army and serves as a martial arts instructor.