Mark 8:34-37 (NLT)
Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?
Reflect back to the three issues Jesus brought up in our reading. Let’s elaborate on them briefly.
1. If you want to follow me, you have to do just that: follow! (As in, give up control).
Its fairly easy to follow Christ as we sing-along with Jason (the guitar player) belting out worship tunes and John (the Pastor, not the Baptist) as he unfurls verse after verse about how much GOD loves us. Another matter altogether is the sunrise Monday morning, when life snatches us up by the throat again. Our first instinct is to seize control, to try to fix the situation, whether it be hassles at work or turmoil in marriage. But Jesus simply says, “Follow me.” Not follow me during worship service or prayer time or when you feel like it or you’re reaping the rewards. But follow me. All the time. Through thick and thin.
2. You have to die to yourself. “Self sacrifice is the way, my way, to saving yourself, your true self.” (verse 35, The Message)
Just as unpopular is killing our self. Let’s call it spiritual suicide. And a divine paradox. If we desire true life, we must be willing to lay ours down in this one. We give up our desires for the cause of Christ. This doesn’t mean we’ll live a bland, unfulfilling life. Rather, far in the opposite direction. We’ll find what we were created for, the meaning of life. Jesus will use us and our gifts to further his kingdom. And we’ll find life, and life more abundantly.
3. Gain the world…or your soul. Your choice!
Prior to following Christ and discovering C.S. Lewis, my author-of-choice was Chuck Palanuik. In one of his more widespread novels, Fight Club, his protagonist utters the phrase, “the things you own, end up owning you.” Even before following Christ, this declamation stirred me. He borrowed the idea from the Scripture though. We get entangled in this materialistic world, whether we realize it or not. Sometimes its obvious, like hording boats, hunting gear, purses, shoes, cars, books, DVDs, phone apps, or __________ [fill in your blank]. Other times, its subtle, like seeking out recognition, prestige, accolades, or compliments. Either way, when we get sucked into these things, they ultimately control us and, in the process, steal our focus and faith away from Jesus. We can indeed gain the world. But tragically, to do so, is to be apart from GOD.
Application: Yesterday, I used John’s (the Pastor, not the Baptist) question: If someone tracked you for a day, would they find enough evidence of you following Christ to convict you? Based on the reading, what steps can you make in your life to become a convict for Christ? Pick one and work on it today.
