Words from the Rock
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
Matthew 16:25 NIV
Life, death, commitment—these are all pretty heavy topics. And Jesus doesn’t sugarcoat his message one bit. He’s telling his disciples that they’re entering into an all-or-nothing sort of agreement. He’s making a very somber prediction—that they will lose their lives for him someday. In fact, after Jesus’s death and resurrection, ten of his disciples (and many other followers) will eventually be put to death for following him. Yet they will not waver in their faith. Not one of them will regret their commitment to him or the pain and suffering as a result of it.
But what do these words mean for you personally? Is Jesus literally asking you to be killed for believing in him? Probably not, since that’s not happening much in the United States these days (although Christians are put to death for their faith in some countries). Even so, these words should pack a pretty stiff punch.
Jesus is saying that if you love your life more than you love him—if you cling to your own dreams more tightly than you cling to him—your life and your dreams will slip right through your fingers, and you will lose everything completely.
On the other hand, if you give up your life for Jesus (remember the steering wheel image?), if you surrender all control to him, he will give you back a life that’s far beyond anything you could ever hope for. But you have to let go first. You have to trust him with everything. You have to believe that only God knows what you truly need—only Jesus in the driver’s seat will get you where you really need to go.
My Prayer
Dear God,
I really don’t want to lose my life. Show me how to let go, and help me to trust you completely. Thank you for getting me to where I need to go.
Amen.
Final Word
Because he has loved Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him securely on high, because he has known My name.
Psalm 91:14 NASB
Stone for the Journey
When I lose my life for God, I will find it.