True Life

Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” Mark 8:34-35

TO BE A TRUE FOLLOWER of Jesus is not easy. There is a cost. It requires a relinquishment of the selfish ambition that makes this life all about what we can accomplish and acquire. It requires that rather than charting out a course for a life that we think will provide happiness and fulfillment, we must entrust the course of our lives to Christ. It requires that we fix our gaze firmly on him as we anticipate his benefits and presence in the life to come, even as we accept the losses and disappointments that are part of this life.

As parents we want to protect our children from pain and difficulty. Too often we want a life for them that does not include a cross. We have ambitions for our children that, if we’re honest, are often less about living the crucified life than they are about creating a comfortable life. We want them to soar, not stumble. We want them to be admired, not marginalized.

We need faith to believe that what Jesus said to his disciples is really true for us and for our children —that the only way to find true life is by putting self-determination and self-centeredness to death.

Lord, I want to follow after you and find true life. And, Lord, I want this true life for ________. I want him to be willing to give up his life for your sake and for the sake of the gospel. I don’t want him to gain the whole world but lose his soul. When Jesus returns in glory, I long to see ________ there with him, sharing his glory. Would you give ________ a passion for your Kingdom that will squeeze out selfish ambition? Would you give him eyes to see what Jesus is worth, shoulders that are willing to bear your cross, and perseverance in following after you?