Losing your life to follow Jesus By Choco De’ Jesus, Op-ed Contributor for Christian Post
Every person is born self-absorbed, but that’s because it’s our nature to be selfish. This inbred bent is inflamed by our consumer culture. The ads we see and hear promise that the next purchase will give us ultimate fulfillment—and that’s what we think is the good life: having everything we want and avoiding everything that’s annoying or painful.
But Jesus came not to be served but to serve. No one took His life; He freely gave it. The Pharisees and the Romans played only bit parts in the drama. His reason for coming to earth was to die a shameful death so we could receive forgiveness, honor, and adoption into God’s family. In one of the most powerful statements in the Gospels, Jesus said these words to those who were committed to following Him:
Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done.
—Matthew 16:24–27, NIV
Jesus gives us a cost-benefit analysis. If we organize our pursuits around our own pleasure, prestige, and power, we’ll live with the nagging fear that we’ll never have enough. We’ll compare ourselves with others, and we’ll believe that we aren’t handsome enough, pretty enough, smart enough, talented enough, or rich enough.
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We love helping others and believe that’s one of the reasons we are chosen as Ambassadors of the Kingdom, to serve God’s children. We look to the Greatest Commandment as our Powering force.
But if we say no to selfish ambition and yes to Jesus’ purpose, we’ll organize our lives around Him—His love, His power, His timetable, and His goals. And we’ll experience the joy of knowing the God of glory, the love of the One who gave everything for us, and the power of the Spirit as we align our purposes with His.
Jesus doesn’t force us to lay down our selfish ambitions and follow Him. It’s our choice—and the results are our consequences. If we demand our own way, we’ll follow our desires and emotions. And if we want to play it safe and avoid risks, we’ll miss out on the blessings God has for us.
