"...[Jesus] called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: '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 and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?'" (Mk 8:34-36).
Seems counterintuitive to say that the way to gain life is to give it up but that is precisely what Jesus is saying. While we naturally cling to things in order to possess them, believing that maintaining personal control is the key to insuring continuity. However, in the words of Dr. Phil, "How has that been working for you?"
For instance, when one hoards his/her money instead of investing it, how well does it that work against the rising tide of inflation and the cost of living? Investors, despite some loses, are the ones who gain. If you jealously control your wife, keeping her close not allowing her freedom to be herself, what is the end result of that intense possessiveness?
The question is when you focus on yourself in a selfish way, what do you gain? You don't! You lose! And when you continue in that self-focus, eventually you lose yourself. Imagine a farmer jealously holding on to his grain instead of planting it. What would be the outcome? Imagine a teacher jealously holding on to her knowledge. What would be the outcome? The answer to both is that both would lose.
The ultimate loss comes when we jealously hold on to this physical life and the world in which we live to the point we lose our spiritual life and the world to come. The path to life is turning away from self-seeking, self-interests and self-determination so that we can turn to Jesus, laying down the control of our lives at his feet so that he can raise us up in his presence, gaining glory and life everlasting. Jus' Say'n.
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