What I believe about gain and loss

Jesus describes the heart (not the blood-pumping muscle, but a part of or capacity of the mind) and its function in the sermon on the mount when He says, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21. 

From this description, we can see that the heart is associated with treasure. Treasure is something you value. It is something of worth. It is the heart that evaluates what is valuable to you, and how valuable it is. It is the heart that evaluates what is a gain and what is a loss and how much of a gain or a loss it is. 

Imagine a room that only has two exits, a black door and a white door. If you exit the white door, you have to pay me $1,000, and if you exit the black door, I will pay you $1,000. Which door will you exit through? Now, if you exit the white door, I will pay you $10, but if you exit the black door, I will pay you $1,000. Which door will you exit through? And finally, if you exit the white door, you will have to pay me $1,000, but if you exit the black door, you will have to pay me $10. Which door will you exit through? In each scenario, we would all choose to exit the black door. Why? Because we are hardwired to always pursue gain and avoid loss. 

If I am given an option between a gain and a loss, I will choose the gain. If I am given an option between two gains, I will choose the greater gain. And if I am given an option between two losses, I will choose the smaller loss. We are always choosing away from the greater loss and toward the greater gain. The heart is the part or capacity of the mind that evaluates gain and loss, and this is how it evaluates the gain and loss. 

The example of the black and white doors is fairly simplistic. In reality each decision requires the evaluation of many different factors. The example given in The Law of Life book was of the decision to go on a vacation. The decision to take vacation will be influenced by the current financial situation, what critical projects are dependent upon my input, when are the project deadlines, how many other people are working on the projects that can complete them in time without my presence, and how much I need a break right now. All of these factors (and probably more) are taken into consideration when making this one decision. Each component is weighed on a scale of gain and loss, and the sum of all of the evaluations (whether the final decision is considered a gain or a loss based upon all of the factors considered) determines the final decision. 

Clearly, when Jesus faced the cross, He was able to persevere because of the gain He saw in it. “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2. What was it that caused Him to go through with the pain, torture, separation, etc.? It was the joy (gain) that was set before Him. What was the joy that was set before Him? It was you. It was me. We were the joy that was set before Him. When He knew that we could be saved because of His sacrifice, for that gain (our salvation), He faced the loss of torture, separation, and death. When He evaluated it all together, it came out as a net gain, therefore He went through with it. If He would have evaluated it all, and it would have been a net loss—if you and I had not been so valuable to Him, and if the objective of revealing the character of God and the nature of His kingdom had not been so important, He would not have faced what He faced. The decision of Christ to face the cross is a perfect example of the “law of gains and losses” in action.

Mark Sandoval