Written by Dynamis Ministries | June 5, 2025
As humans, we have a problem with losing. It seems as though our losses feel more pronounced than our victories. Even if we don’t see ourselves as competitive, losing affects us more than we typically admit. In fact, our distaste for losing is so embedded in who we are that there’s a psychological term for it called LOSS AVERSION. Let’s break it down:
loss [los]:
The act or fact of being unable to keep or maintain something or someone.
aversion [aver∙sion]:
A feeling of repugnance toward something with a desire to avoid or turn from it.
Combining these two suggests that we tend to act in a manner to avoid loss. Loss aversion is the idea that we experience losses more intensely than equivalent gains. Here’s a practical way of understanding it: The negative emotions we feel from losing $100 are often more severe than the positive emotions we feel from finding $100. The bottom line is that losing stings.
Loss aversion is not a new phenomenon. In fact, there’s a well-known story in the Bible that illustrates this psychology at play. In Matthew 19, we read of the interaction between Jesus and a Rich Young Man. After a dialogue about what to do to have eternal life, Jesus challenges the man to sell all his possessions and give his money to the poor. Sadly, the story ends with the man walking away from Jesus, unwilling to part with his possessions due to his great wealth. The man was experiencing loss aversion. He was motivated by fear because, in his mind, he had much to lose by giving away his wealth.
Interestingly, Matthew the disciple contrasts this story with another, where Jesus tells a strikingly opposite parable about money and possessions. In this story, a man sold all his possessions to buy a field that contained hidden treasure (13:44). For this man, joy, not fear, motivated him to sell his belongings. He felt a strong attachment to what he was gaining in return. These two stories reveal opposing responses to giving away wealth. In one case, a man clings to his possessions because he fears what he will lose. In the other, a man lets go of his possessions for the joy of what he will gain.
If we’re honest, it’s probably easier for most of us to relate to the Rich Young Man because we, too, have a strong attachment to our money and possessions. Sometimes, it’s hard for us to give because we’re afraid of what we might be losing. We may think of volunteering as losing leisure time or giving sacrificially with our money as losing a desired standard of living or future security. Yet our giving may become easier if we adopt the attitude of the man in the parable who gladly sold his possessions.
Our loss-aversion mindset can be overcome by focusing on what we gain through giving. When we give, we’re actually gaining, such as well-being in our soul—spiritual health. Instead of loss aversion, we need GAIN ATTACHMENT. Gain attachment is when we see the good that can become and are moved to be a part of it. Let’s not allow the fear of losing to hinder our giving; let’s keep our eyes fixed on what we are gaining. The earthly and eternal rewards of giving are abundant!
