A life changed for good

Everybody walking away from the world’s ways is on the way to life, but the one who insists on holding on to his life just as it is ends up losing it. (Matthew 16:25 MSG)

In other translations, this passage presents us with what seems to be a bit of an oxymoron: If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. (NLT) The more we attempt to 'hang on to' the way of living according to this world's standards, the further we get from living in close, intimate relationship with Jesus. Forsake those ways of living and draw closer to Jesus in every way. The desires or ambitions of this life here on earth are nothing compared to what Jesus has planned for those who are willing to lay those desires and ambitions at his feet.

All our 'worldly attachments' may not seem like much at first, but if any of them interfere with developing a deep and intimate relationship with Jesus, they are hurting us. We form 'attachments' to certain things, ways of doing things, and even people on this earth. Whenever Jesus asks us to lay those things down, or change our way of doing things, he isn't trying to punish us or keep us from good things. He is helping us part with what only provides clutter, confusion, and sometimes way too much comfort in our lives. I am not saying he doesn't want us to be 'comfortable', but he doesn't want us to seek comfort over growth!

We focus on what we can amass and earn. He focuses on what he can give and ways we can serve. We focus on what we can figure out. He focuses on what only deep-seated trust (faith) can accomplish. We center our lives around what we can get. He focuses on what we can give. This world has taught us to focus on things that really don't matter or work well in developing an intimate relationship with him. His teachings introduce us to the 'ideals' and 'privileges' of being part of his family. We lay down one and take up the other, nothing is lost in the 'shift' away from doing things as this world does them.

In fact, much is gained - more than we will ever fully appreciate until we stand before him one day. We don't see but a speck of what he is doing when he transforms a life into his image. We often don't appreciate the depth of this change until we see where the lack of that change would have ended! Dig in your heels long enough to stay true to this world's ways and adopt every one of its lies - it isn't going to go well for you. Let go of just a little of what holds you so tightly to your way of living and you might just sense a little bit of the freedom and joy he wants you to experience.

Walking away isn't always the easiest thing, but it is the most rewarding. It isn't going to happen overnight. It is a daily choice to no longer view life through the blinders this world puts on us to only see things as they affect us. To begin to choose Christ over self is the beginning of a brand-new way of seeing life, understanding others, and coming to grips with our need for this relationship to grow deeper. Just sayin!