April 18th, 2021
Text: Luke 9:24
For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. (NRSV)
God created us to be in relationship. It is the primary function of human existence. We are born into a community called family. We are born in such a way that we cannot survive without others. Babies can only live so long without physical nurture and care. Jesus declared that love of God and neighbor were the two most important commandments simply revealing that love and relationship are what life are really about.
However, it takes only minutes of listening to news broadcasts, reading the paper, or scrolling through social media to discover that the way of life I described above as God’s purpose for us, is not the life that most of us live in this broken world. We spew words of hate. We walk into grocery stores, schools, FedEx warehouses, and take the lives of multiple people in violent ways. We focus on work, money, material possessions, and increasing our bank accounts at the expense of the simple pleasures of relationship building with family and friends and God.
So, when we hear Jesus say that those who want to save their life, the life they are living outside of a relationship with him, what they will loose is the life for which God designed them. What they will loose is true life, true happiness, true meaning, true purpose. But when we give up this life, that is not really life, for the sake of a relationship with Jesus, then our lives will be saved. We will become those who live a life consistent with who we were created to be. We will find true, love, true, peace, true happiness, true contentment, and our lives will be full and eternal.
Pray with me:
God of love and God of life continue to speak into my spirit the true meaning of life. Strengthen me to give up this life that is filled with hate, hurt, and pain so that you might save me and give me a life of relationship, love, and meaning. AMEN.
For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. (NRSV)
God created us to be in relationship. It is the primary function of human existence. We are born into a community called family. We are born in such a way that we cannot survive without others. Babies can only live so long without physical nurture and care. Jesus declared that love of God and neighbor were the two most important commandments simply revealing that love and relationship are what life are really about.
However, it takes only minutes of listening to news broadcasts, reading the paper, or scrolling through social media to discover that the way of life I described above as God’s purpose for us, is not the life that most of us live in this broken world. We spew words of hate. We walk into grocery stores, schools, FedEx warehouses, and take the lives of multiple people in violent ways. We focus on work, money, material possessions, and increasing our bank accounts at the expense of the simple pleasures of relationship building with family and friends and God.
So, when we hear Jesus say that those who want to save their life, the life they are living outside of a relationship with him, what they will loose is the life for which God designed them. What they will loose is true life, true happiness, true meaning, true purpose. But when we give up this life, that is not really life, for the sake of a relationship with Jesus, then our lives will be saved. We will become those who live a life consistent with who we were created to be. We will find true, love, true, peace, true happiness, true contentment, and our lives will be full and eternal.
Pray with me:
God of love and God of life continue to speak into my spirit the true meaning of life. Strengthen me to give up this life that is filled with hate, hurt, and pain so that you might save me and give me a life of relationship, love, and meaning. AMEN.
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