Remember To Lose

Jesus spoke in parables and stories, often leaving his listeners confused. Even today, after centuries of study, there is more to be discovered in his stories. However, he made a few things very clear in his message, and one of those things was the cost of following him.

Mark 8:34-35 ESV records a critical message. It says, “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.’”

I assume that most of us reading today have a grasp of this concept. Following Jesus requires us to surrender our lives. It calls us to surrender our flesh to live by the Spirit (Romans 8) and so much more.

Today I want to remind you to lose your life.

Most of us are doing our best to follow Jesus wholeheartedly, but it is not as difficult as you might think for our good intentions of surrender to morph into more self-preservation.

If we become negligent in our spiritual journey, we will undoubtedly drift toward the path of least resistance, which is the path of clinging to our lives. Jesus calls us to willfully and intentionally deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow him.

It is a high calling, but a worthy one. In this exchange, we receive the best gift of all: the Kingdom of the Son.

Spend a few moments asking the Lord to show you where you might be clinging to your life and where you need to remember to lose it again. Ask for grace, and seek him again today.

Amen.

• Sign up for Abiding Daily text messages.

  Abiding happens daily in his presence. Abiding Daily is a simple and practical reminder to stay connected to the vine. Each prompt is inspired by the scriptures and designed to point you toward prayer and encounter. You can follow us on Facebook and Instagram. To get the Daily Invitation sent to you every day click this link or text “Daily” to +1 (779) 237-3914.

• Order a copy of Abiding Daily: Volume One – Our first devotional book.

  Our first devotional book is available on our online store! Abiding Daily: Volume One is a devotional book including 120 prompts from the Daily Invitation. This book is designed to help believers connect with God through the word and discover more of what it means to abide in Christ. Click here to learn more.