As we wrap up our sermon series, The Undivided Life, this week we talked about purpose. We can discover purpose when we live an undivided life, when our will matches the will of God for us, and when we surrender our wants and desires over to the authority of Jesus Christ the Lord.
Here’s how Jesus put it:
Matthew 16:24-25
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.”
Reflections
What a radical, counter-cultural idea. In the world of, “Hey everybody… Look at me!” This might be the most radical idea in the whole Bible: Deny yourself.
This is not the same as neglect yourself – God doesn’t need selfish martyrs. To deny yourself is to put yourself in the proper order: Christ first, others next, yourself last.
In this, we discover our purpose in life, when we put the way of Jesus ahead of our own. When we commit to follow him in every way and to every place. And in doing so, we will find life.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, your words to us are hard: self-denial, taking up our cross, losing our life. We are reluctant. And yet we trust in your glorious promise that it is in giving up that we gain, it is in losing that we are found. Thank you for your extraordinary grace, including even me. In your name, I pray. Amen.
