“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”- Luke 9:24
In Chapter 3 of All In, author Mark Batterson counterintuitively asserts that he’s convinced it is true that the key to self-fulfillment is self-denial (shorthand for delayed gratification). That’s how we’ll discover that authentic joy is found only on the sacrificial side of life, as we go all in with God.
The world of consumerism tells us that more is more. That lie reminds Mark of the familiar rhyme and playground rule: finders keepers, losers weepers. He notes that the exact opposite is true in God’s kingdom: finders weepers, losers keepers.
The Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18) said he kept all the commandments. He followed all the rules, but he wasn’t following Jesus. In reality, the Rich Young Ruler was the opposite of all in. By holding out on God, he was missing out on everything God wanted to do in, for, and through him. That’s why the Rich Young Ruler was so miserable.
As Pastor Batterson points out, we must do more than following the rules- doing nothing wrong. We have to do something right. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we have to follow Jesus. If we don’t use our greatest asset for God’s purposes, that asset will become our greatest liability. Rather than accumulate possessions, we need to accumulate experiences.
Today’s question: What did your ministry downsizing or vocation loss reveal about your reliance on material possessions? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The inability to do nothing”
