Recently I heard of a man who built a quality home for a gentleman. After the man was in the house he brought a lawsuit against the builder. The homeowner had mentioned to the builder in passing during the construction phase that he liked litigation.

The lawsuit was for an amount almost equal to the value of the home. The builder hired a reputable inspector to identify if the claims were accurate. They were not.

The suit ended in mediation. During that process it became evident that the homeowner was lying. The builder was spending $10,000 a day to defend himself. At that point he had to decide if he should continue to defend himself or settle.

He chose to settle. Truly, the homeowner should have been the one paying the builder for all the costs since it was an unfounded claim. But God had different plans for the builder.

In the end, the builder’s settlement was a win for him. He kept his business name intact. He could focus on other lucrative projects, and the stress of the suit was ended.

The homeowner felt he won, but God will deal with him. The builder belongs to God, so the Lord will work it out for his good. The homeowner cheated God’s child. That is never a winning position. We don’t like to lose, but God is more concerned with our integrity than our bank account. After all, God is wealthy, and provides for our needs. Psalm 50:10reminds us of this truth: “For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.”

As God’s people, when it appears we are losing, in reality, Jesus will work it out for our best. As Christ followers we are always on the winning side. Those who mistreat others may often appear to gain, but the truth is, they are the ones losing. 

Winning comes when we trust and obey God. Even though we may suffer in this life, Jesus told us to take heart in our suffering because He has overcome the world. John 16:33: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

To the world it appeared as though Jesus had lost when He died on the cross. But God brought victory through the suffering Jesus experienced. Have you experienced victory through Jesus? If not, what is holding you back?

This truth is especially meaningful when it comes to our eternal existence. Jesus stated in Matthew 10:39: “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

The greatest gain we can have is the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. 

Jesus came to earth and became a human being so that He could resist every temptation to sin, so that He could become the perfect sacrifice to pay the penalty for our sins. At the cross, He fulfilled His plan.

When we surrender our lives to Jesus, and allow Him to be the One to lead and guide our lives, it may appear we are losing, but we are truly on the winning side. 

When we yield to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, we can only gain.

What might we lose when we yield to Jesus? Truly, we will never lose when we surrender to Him.

When we yield to Jesus, we will never experience being eternally separated from God, because through Jesus we gain access to God and peace with Him. Romans 5:1-2a states: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.”

When we yield to Jesus, we can let Him handle our stress and anxiety: 1 Peter 5:7: “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” The world may chide us for leaning on Jesus, but in “losing” our independence, we gain a peace the world cannot understand.

When we yield to Jesus we will gain everything good that our heavenly Father wants us to have. James 1:17: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” The world believes that material stuff matters more than what Jesus offers. But God teaches us differently.

Philippians 4:6-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

How have you experienced “loss” that truly became gain because you surrendered and obeyed Jesus?

What battle might you need to surrender in? Though it may look like a loss, in God’s hands it will bring victory in your life. It may not have anything to do with money. It may mean a change in attitude that needs to be surrendered, or an argument you don’t need to win, or some other matter the Holy Spirit is pressing you to let go, and to trust God for Him to work it out for your best interests.

How deeply do you believe God is trustworthy? Surrendering to God requires us to trust Him thoroughly. Trusting God means surrendering what we believe should happen. When we let go of our desired outcome, we will experience His work in us and for us. What He will do will always be for our best.

The best decision I ever made was to surrender to Jesus. I had to decide that I could trust Him with my life, not only for eternity, but for every day living. I don’t always rest there. But God always leads me back to that place of surrender. There has never been a “loss” in my life that God hasn’t turned into a blessing, as I’ve trusted and rested in Him.

Peace with God and the peace of God are far superior to winning any earthly battle.

Would you like to experience the powerful work of God’s Holy Spirit in your life? It is possible when Jesus is your Lord and Savior.  Please email me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com so we could talk about surrendering to our mighty God.

Living for Jesus, Donna

P.S. If this has helped you, please share it with others!

Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.

Copyright 2026 Donna Shappy   All rights reserved.  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.