“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” Luke 9.24-27
Jesus offers us two pathways: life or death. Anyone who claims there is no freedom of choice hasn’t carefully read this passage. Jesus clearly presents two paths—one that saves your life and one that loses it.
It is almost as if Jesus is telling us we have the ability to determine our own destiny: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for my sake will save it.” Who doesn’t want to live? Yet in order to truly live for God, we must surrender our own hopes, dreams, and desires and take up His will for our lives.
Furthermore, if we are ashamed of Jesus and His words in this life, then when the time comes to enter His kingdom, He will be ashamed of us. Once again, this is a choice we have to make—a choice we get to make, a choice we must make. Will we choose to give up our lives for God? Or will we be ashamed of Jesus and His way? The decision is ours, yet the benefits of choosing His path are incomparable.
“Losing your life” means rejecting all worldly comfort, fame, fortune, and power. We can reject these things, and God can still bless us richly! But our love must not be rooted in this world—it must be rooted in His Word. As Christ warns, we can gain the whole world and yet forfeit our very souls. In other words, our reward will either be here on earth or for eternity in heaven.
Self-denial is not easy. We have been blessed so abundantly, and I often wonder whether I am giving enough—whether these blessings are holding me back from a fuller life of ministry. In truth, I sometimes feel that what God has given me materially enables me to do His work in ways I could not otherwise. Perhaps I don’t need to live as comfortably as I do, and that calls for honest self-examination. Still, I remain deeply grateful for His goodness, His abundant blessings, and His love.
The bottom line is this: our eyes must remain fixed on Jesus—not on this world, not on fame, not on fulfilling our own desires. Our goal is to run the race well so that one day we may enter His Kingdom.
I pray that today I will have the boldness to lose my life so that Christ may save it—by His grace and for His glory.
“O Lord God, You are a faithful Lord. You are gracious and kind. Yet You call us to humility, obedience, discipline, and love. Come now, Holy Spirit, fall upon me. Help me find my way in You. Help me remember that my life is in Your hands. I love You and trust in Your name, for You are good and Your love endures forever.” Amen.