September 13, 2016

Mark 8:35 NKJV - "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it."

I shared this verse yesterday with the people I consider to be some of my strongest prayer warriors.  I wanted them to share with me the thoughts they had when they studied this passage.  I got a few responses and some good thoughts were shared.  But, I'd like you to consider the following:

A person who does not turn their life over to the Lord for salvation is usually thinking they know better how to live and get out of life what they think is important.  Sadly they face eternity without God and without hope and all the pleasure they got out of hoarding their lives for themselves will prove to be a waste of time.  Too many people will be in hell because they would not "lose their lives" for Christ's sake.

But, even a Christian can try to "save his/her life" for their own pleasure.  Yes, they trusted Christ and are certainly saved.  But they fall into the world's idea of meaningful living and are afraid of what God might ask of them.  They live their lives just like the world around them and ultimately waste their time in meaningless efforts.  They are spoken of in 1 Corinthians 3 where Paull speaks of those who are "...saved, yet so as by fire."  Their accomplishments were ultimately done for themselves and will receive no "well done" from their Savior. 

What about "losing one's life?"  The word "losing" throws a lot of people off.  They can't help but feel that losing is for losers!  "You don't desire to lose anything."  "Keep what you got and don't let anyone take anything that belongs to you."  That's the way of thinking that dedicated Christians have to face.  They  must understand "losing" in a whole different light.  There was a poem I heard years ago that had a couple of lines that basically said, "God told me to let go of the things I was grasping in order that He could place in my empty hands the eternal blessings He wanted to give."  The "lost" things were ultimately worthless.  The things that God gave were worth more than anyone could imagine!  Losing one's life for the Lord meant to let God live His life through them by taking their life out of the picture.  The person who "loses their life for the Lord's sake" is basically saying, "God, You live Your life in me.  My body is Yours and whatever you wish to do with my life is ultimately not a "loss" for me, but really a gain!"  Paul said it pretty clearly in Philippians 1:21, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."

After reading this Daily Verse I kept reading through Mark and came to John the Baptist in Luke.  There I could see a man who "lost his life for Christ's sake."  John lived for only one thing - point people to Jesus.  And when he did what he was meant to do he said in John 3:30, "He must increase, but I must decrease."  Did John lose?  Far from it! 

Give up and let go what you're grasping.  Trust God to place in your hands and in your life what will ultimately be a treasure you'll have to enjoy forever!