Devotional
It sounds like a contradiction. Lose your life to save it. Give up what you want to find what you need. But Jesus said it plainly, and He meant it. Many people spend their lives trying to hold onto Jesus while also holding onto self. They want the peace of Christ without the surrender. They want the fruit of the Spirit without the pruning. They want the resurrection without the cross. But it does not work that way. The life of Christ only begins to rise within you when self has been laid down. Not suppressed. Not managed. Laid down. And when that happens, something extraordinary takes its place. A joy that does not depend on circumstances. A peace that does not make sense to the people around you. A life that feels, for the first time, like it is actually working. Think of the people in your life who carry that kind of joy. Chances are, they are not the ones who have everything the world says you need. They are the ones who traded the life they could have had for the life of Christ, and they found something that never ran dry. That life is available to you. Not someday. Now. The invitation is open.
Bible Verse
“What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” – Mark 8:37
Reflection Question
What is one thing you are holding onto that might be keeping you from experiencing the full life Jesus is offering you?
Quote
“When you’ve let it be crucified, that’s when the life of Christ begins to rise up within you. And you discover life like you have never known and you have never experienced it.”
Prayer
Father, I want the life You offer more than the life I have been building for myself. Help me to trust You enough to let go. Amen.