Save Your Life…And Lose

Thistlebend Quiet eMoment

by Laurie Aker

Focus Scripture: Luke 9:23-27 ESV

23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me,

let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

24 For whoever would save his life will lose it,

but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.

25 For what does it profit a man

if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?

26 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words,

of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory

and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

27 But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not

taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

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I have a dear friend who says that she loves

Jesus but every time she is presented with the choice of

choosing to trust Jesus or holding on to her bad habit

she chooses her bad habit.

She wants what she wants when she wants it.

After all, it is her life.

It’s her day.

It’s her time.

She can do with it what she wants.

Can’t she?

It seems very difficult and traumatic for her.

Day after day, week after week, she lives in inward misery

because she is convinced she will be unhappy

if she has to give up what she enjoys.

Let me make this clear.

Her bad habit isn’t even bad,

except that it represents her unwillingness to deny herself

in order to follow Jesus.

She can’t seem to deny herself

except when she wants to.

Which, as you can see, isn’t denying herself.

She seems controlled by her needs, her wants,

her feelings, and her desires.

At the center of all of this is self.

She continues to serve herself even though

serving herself is hurting her.

The enemy is so deceptive.

And the sinful self is so easily deceived,

like bribing a child with candy.

He makes the thing you need to give up seem

so attractive,

so alluring,

so inflated.

And he rewards you with temporal sweets…

immediate gratification,

the satisfaction,

the comfort,

the ease,

the fix.

TAKING THE TRUTH TO HEART

What is holding you back?

Is it your “love” for food?

Alcohol?

Stuff?

Is it your “desire” for control?

Is it your “need” to look a certain way?

Is it the “way” you do things?

We are commanded to

love the Lord our God with all our heart,

desire Him and Him alone,

and find all of our needs met in Him.

Our selfish idolatrous ways are exactly that — idolatry.

When we choose to continue to put Jesus second to anything,

He will not be first in everything.

When He is not first in everything,

He is not Lord of all.

How do we repent?

How do we let go of the old way?

Confess our unbelief.

Confess our selfishness.

Confess our unwillingness to give up our way of doing things.

Confess our reluctance to give up our self, our life.

Do not be deceived.

Going to church on Sunday,

reading your Bible in the morning,