Giving up what is easy?

IF ANYONE WOULD COME AFTER ME, HE MUST DENY HIMSELF AND TAKE UP HIS CROSS AND FOLLOW ME, FOR WHOEVER WANTS TO SAVE HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, AND WHOEVER LOSES HIS LIFE FOR ME AND FOR THE GOSPEL WILL SAVE IT. -Mark 8:34,35

I always used to look at this verse and say to myself, "well then it must be impossible to follow Christ whole-heatedly because who really can do this besides Paul or Peter? I mean really? Really?!!"

And I would walk away with my head down much like the rich young ruler who could not give up what was most important to him. Here is what I learning friends...

Giving up is a matter of the heart, and although He speaks quite literally to His disciples at this time of His life because this is what ACTUALLY happened to many of them, they were literally giving up their lives for the sake of the ministry. I can see how many like myself become discouraged when they read these verses because they really think, "i could never do that..."

But we can. And here is what I'm learning, as of late, (and by 'as of late' I mean TODAY.) :)

God may not ever call me to die for His name, but if I really believe what I say I believe about Him, His love, His protection, His promises to give me a hope a future, what is it to me to give up the things that I think are SO important on this earth? For me, it used to be my reputation...I wanted all to think that I was "cool." I realized long ago, that this was something that I was so obsessed about and it held no importance...(on the other side of this life) But, to many, kids, teens and young adults our reputations are huge. Who we are on earth feels like the most important thing. Here is the issue what that line of thinking...who we are on earth is a passing, fleeting moment, and then second we let that go, Christ magnifies us to a level our coolness never would have. He prepares a place for us at the head of every table, and the best seat in the house has our name on it. Now, having said this, that doesn't mean we walk around with signs on our for heads that say LOSER, quite contrary, many believers are quite looked up to and have a really great personality that draws people in, but quite literally, I used to think, Sold out Christian= Geek.

Well, you tell me, am I a geek? :) (Sisters, do not answer yes, I will run super fast to your houses and pull your hair)

Back to my original point, to loose our lives means to gain Christ and all the good promises He has in store for us. To loose our lives means quite simply to give up in our hearts what we think is more important than God. Whatever that thing is that has taken the place of worship in your heart over Christ, that must go. (not literally, but it cannot remain in the place of Lordship in your thoughts and minds)

Here is the great part though friends, the part where He tells us what we will receive for our laying down of our desires, we receive more than we could have ever imagined on our own.

For me it was this, I laid down my image, my reputation, and my desires, and here is what i already have received: Contentment, (which is priceless) Peace, Joy, a Husband, Two amazing children, Laughter like I've never had before, and HOPE in all circumstances, and the Love of a Savior that I actually feel in my soul.

Don't those gifts sound great? Well they are, but if I had chose to hold onto what I thought was so important in my youth I would have only received half empty versions of all of those things I listed. God began working in my heart when i was young, and today is beginning to chip away huge chunks of my old self so the new can be revealed. Now that I'm seeing that He is a trusted sculptor, one who makes good out of bad, I have the desire for Him to chip ALL the old exterior so the new inside can be seen fully. Again, going back to constant frame of mind that I am a total work in progress...but I am anxious to see what he chips away at next. Although painful at times, it always leaves me with something better than what I had before, going back to my statement before that when you give up something old, it always makes room for something new.

So, giving up what is easy to give up, well that's just that, Easy. But giving up what's painful to part with, that's where we start tapping into the Kingdom purposes for our lives and God's design for who we could and can become.

Do you trust Him? If you do, start handing Him boxes of stuff that have to go. Trust Him, He'll hand you back those boxes re-wrapped and full of blessings. You will be ever so happy you did.

Take a little step my friends, He'll meet you there, just like He met me.