REAL GAIN
Erin Kranz
Today's Scripture: “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘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 will find it.’” Matthew 16:24-25, ESV
Theme: Like Jesus, we are called to take up a burden, give our whole lives, and find something even better – real life.
MISFITS
Our “heroes” in Guardians of the Galaxy started, honestly, as a bunch of misfits. They each thought they were something, but the audience can see that they were really losers who were trying to mask their true selves. Like we read on Monday, each was going after their own agendas, leaving them hardened, miserable, and lonely.
Have you ever felt that way? Maybe you were trying to climb the ladder at work, engrossed with starting a company, giving every drop of yourself to raising your kids, or even trying to run a ministry. Whether our intentions started for good or for self-ambition, we all allow the dial on our compasses to drift occasionally. If we hold on too tightly, at some point the tightness of our grasp can morph into a chokehold that drains our lives. It’s a struggle that brings us to the dichotomy of verse 25: “‘For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.’”
“FOR MY SAKE”
If given the choice between saving or losing yourself, I don’t know that any of us would initially choose the latter. But Jesus promises us the reward of finding true life if we surrender ourselves for His sake. Real, eternal life. As Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well, “‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life,’” (John 4:13-14, ESV). Join me today in choosing to deny yourself – your preferences, your comforts, or even dreams – in favor of gaining real life with Christ.
Make It Personal: Where are you holding back from fully surrendering to Jesus as Lord? Take time to adjust your vision back to aligning with His.
Pray: Lord, You alone are good, and Your ways are true. Help me to stop seeking after my own vision and instead lose my life for Your sake. Speak clearly to me and still my mind so I can listen. Thank You for the life You promise in return. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Read: John 15:1-11; Romans 6:4
Weekly Memory Verse: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” Matthew 16:26, ESV