“For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it” (Mark 8:35).
Jesus has a cool way with words. In this verse, He is looking at “life,” “save,” and “lose” from two different perspectives. In the first part, your life represents the “me first” period before you became a child of God. We want to preserve, or save, everything about this life that we are comfortable with. We love to put ourselves first. When we agree with the world when it tells us that wealth, fame, and indulgence make life enjoyable, then we’ll tend to “save” this life. But if we do, Jesus warns us, we will lose what we cherish, with nothing to gain from it. No rewards accrue in the life to come for this pursuit of self.
On the other hand, if we are living for Jesus, find aspects of our lifestyle at cross-purposes and lose those things for Him, we’ll obtain a greater life with Him than we could have known, and preserve it for ever.
Peter tried to dissuade Jesus from the way of the Cross. Jesus puts the Cross up front and center for the disciple’s life. Students of Jesus are not satisfied with being armchair Christians. They want His promises of peace, joy, love, power in prayer, Christ-like character, a life that pleases God. All of these flow from the Cross, and not from being satisfied with a faith profession made some time ago.
Do I want every promise God offers? They can’t co-exist in a character that lives contrary to God. I must cast aside each contrary thing the Spirit reveals to me. Paul wanted the righteousness of God, but he had to lose the comforting self-righteousness that surface religion offered him (Phil. 3:7-9). Life and religion offer many (poor) substitutes for the real thing. When we drop those for the promises of God, we’ll gain the true treasure.
Prayer: Father, You really do have something better than I have now. Help me to let it go that I may have Your best.
Promise: Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service (Romans 12:1).
From Steps of a Disciple, by Steve Husting
