Today's readings: 1 Samuel 27; Psalm 141; 1 Chronicles 9; Matthew 10
Holding On
Scripture
[Jesus speaking] "If you love your father or mother more than you love me, you are not worthy of being mine; or if you love your son or daughter more than me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life for me, you will find it."
Matthew 10.37-39
Observation
Following Jesus means giving your all.
Application (How will I be different today because of what I have just read?)
Loving Jesus more than anyone, or anything . . . more than life itself--that is what we are called to do. Yet, how willing are we to set aside what's important to us for Him? Whether it is people we love, things we love . . . or even a worship style--are we willing to set it all aside for Him? Are we willing to die to our own desires and live only for Him?
By looking at most of our lives, the answer would be 'no'. We can talk about it--even consider it some "pie in the sky" goal that we would like to attain someday, but are we really willing to pay the cost to do it today??
We are willing to do a little--just enough to get by and look good--but few are willing to really live a radical life for Jesus. . . the life we are called ot live. We aren't willing to give it all for Him--we want to hold on to at least some of what we see as important . . . afterall, isn't it enough to give just a portion?? NO! We are called to give up our lives for Him--all that we hold as important--all that we hold as near and dear--everything--our whole hearts . . .
The old hymn says, "All to Jesus, I surrender, All to Him I freely give . . . I surrender all." Not 10%, not 50%, not even 80%--but all of who we are and all of what we have.
Am I willing to do that today? Am I willing to trust God enough to say, "Here I am, Lord--my life, all of it, is Yours and Yours alone." ???
Today, I pray that I might be strong enough to take one more step closer to offering all of my life to Him.
Prayer
Lord, I give something to You--then take it back. I give only pieces of my life to You--those pieces I don't need. Forgive me for holding back. It's hard Lord. It's scary to let go of it all. I feel like I am clinging to a rope--trying to let go--prying one finger loose at a time--when what I need to do is let go and trust that You are there to catch me. Help me. Lord, I want to fully give up my life for You--yet I continue to hold back. I pray, Lord God, that today I will put my trust in You and will come one step closer to being the person You are calling me to be--that I would die to myself so that I can be filled with You. Thank You for Your patience with me.
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