This verse has been on my mind lately.

The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
John 12:25

What did the Savior mean when He said that? I love my life. I have a great family and the love of the Savior gets me through every day. I have been blessed in so many ways, and have joy. I still have daily problems to overcome, but over all I love my life. Does that mean I will lose my life?

There is another side though. I also hate my life. I hate the battles with sin. I hate that we live in a fallen world. I hate that there is death, when God never meant that for us. I hate my life in a way that, when my life is over here on earth, I will rejoice, for my life with Christ can begin! My life, my soul, and the Holy Spirit inside me, groans and cries for this sinful body and soul to be redeemed at the rapture. Was this what the Savior meant by hating your life? I believe so. And that means I will have eternal life!

Watching and Waiting, I agree with what you said. I think it also means that He wants us to be so sold out to Christ, that nothing in this world matters to us more than He does....even our own lives. Also that even if our lives are wonderfully blessed, we shouldn't hang onto them so tightly that they are more important than He is.

The "life in this world" Jesus is referring to, is the life of the self: My comfort, my survival, my needs, my preferences, my way or the highway. For some people, that's all they know and they will fight to be dominant in all things. That kind of life is the road to destruction. But for those who are willing to lay it all down in service to God and love for all, they will find their true lives in Christ. That is how He lived and died.

So many people are obsessed with "finding themselves." What do they intend to do once they've located their ego? When we discover God all the other things will be added unto us.

"Hate" is sometimes used in the Bible as a comparative term to contrast with the idea of "desperately clinging to" some thing.

We stand ready at a moments notice to shed these old bodies and this old physical existence to trade up for our new one, not being severely attached to ANYTHING here. All the goods of this world are temporal and corruptible. We work fervently on relationships and spreading the gospel adding to the kingdom because those we help find Him, those relationships are what we will carry with us when we go, however ENHANCED they will be then! Woohoo!

I believe at that precise moment when we are "changed", just like you couldn't beg, pay or bribe ANYONE in heaven to come back and live here, we will be so FULL of joy unspeakable at our departure, shooooooot! the remaining cares of this old life will fall off like a snake skin. It will be "over" for us HERE in our hearts and we will be rejoicing all the way up to meet Him in the air!