What will you forfeit?

"And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?" Mark 8:34-36

This week I have been learning so much about how deeply sin runs in our hearts and human natures. It continues to amaze me that the HOLY God would choose to use sinners to bring Glory to his name through the offering of Jesus Christ. I know that personally I am consumed with selfishness, pride, idolatry, unthankfulness, and discontentment. Why is it so difficult for us to just believe the simple promises of God? If we simply believed his word is true and rest in the security of his faithfulness, these sin issues would be eradicated from our lives. My selfishness would be lost in the joy of serving others. My pride would be destroyed by humility in the realization that God can use me and will use me for his glory if I pursue righteousness and his kingdom. If I feared God more than man, my idolatry would be absolutely replaced by the overwhelming- all consuming worship of Gods mercy, grace, and love. If I thanked God for what I have rather than demanding he meet my desires I would see how abundantly he has blessed those who so leastly deserve it.

I am learning that in losing our life for the sake of Christ and his Gospel we rid ourselves of the refuse that our human natures apart from God delight in, and Christ allows us to bask in the unfathomable and delighting presence of our God and King! So in order to follow Christ do we really forfeit anything worth mentioning? I dare say NO! Rather we attain the treasure of the redemptional love of Christ that fulfills every desire and joy built into the fabric of our human soul. Let it be said of us professing to be followers of Christ that our greatest and exceeding joy was to forfeit all things of this world that we might only and ultimately attain the great lover of our souls Jesus Christ!