“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:34-37 (NIV)
Our Creator formed the humans from the earth and placed them in His garden so that under His care they could and would develop and grow into all that He desired them to become. They were two raw diamonds, pieces of coal that needed special care and handling so that the brilliance of God could eventually shine through their lives. They were coming along very well until they turned to a disgruntled diamond cutter who had been fired from the Creator’s diamond shop.
Sometimes we learn too late that the results of our actions can be disastrous. It is then that we face up to the realities of selfishness and self-denial. When the truth finally dawns on us, we invariably say, “O I could have had a . . .” Or “If I had only . . .” But regrets are usually too late to change the outcome of our decisions and actions.
We humans are so fickle. We want the best but not the test. We want the life but not the death. We want Christ but not the cross. We want the salvation but not the denial. We want the gain but not the exchange. We want our cake . . .
This is what makes discipleship so difficult. Following Christ truly means self-denial. Denial of everything: our perspectives, our plans, our past, our present, our future, our dreams, our love of this world, and even our families. Following Christ is not “easy belief.” There are difficult decisions to make when we become His disciples. We must want Him more than we want anything in the whole world.
That is why His challenge is so difficult. It is difficult to hear Jesus say, “What will you give in exchange for your soul?” Christ doesn’t just want believers; He wants disciples! Consider the value of our soul in relation to the value of everything we could gain in this world. How would it benefit us to possess everything our hearts desire but then lose our souls? It is a serious consideration that requires a personal response. He will not force us to make the exchange. We decide how much we value the soul and what we will exchange to save it.
Dear Father, thank you for Jesus Christ who died to take away the sin of the world. Empower our faith to follow Him and bear our individual cross. This I pray in the name of Jesus. AMEN
Be encouraged today as you follow Christ,