Jesus clearly says: “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” {Mark 8:34-35}. But I am constantly convicted that I don’t really live a lost life. Not fully. Not all the time.
We are called to live our lives in complete surrender to God. Lives where we obey God fully. Serve others unceasingly. Withstand trials and inconveniences joyfully. Forgive those who wrong us eagerly. This is a lost life. This is a life where the Gospel is honored above all else. This is a life that considers both the good and the bad of this world rubbish in comparison to knowing Christ and living with him in heaven for eternity.
But sometimes I don’t surrender my life fully to God – don’t fully lose my life to him – because I have boundaries. I try to “save” my own life. I try to establish limits in order to protect myself from fully surrendering to the Gospel, because sometimes that surrender is hard and uncomfortable and sacrificial.
For example, I might say:
Jesus doesn’t work like that. He never said, “I’ll only go to cross if…” He never said, “I’ll let them give me 29 lashes, but if they try to give me 39, I’m done with this.” He never said, “I’ll forgive them this time, but if my disciples show a lack of faith again, I’m going to go find new followers.” And he has never said to me, “If you sin again, we’re through. Or “if you are faithless, I just won’t stand it.”
Instead, my Savior, when he was up on that cross in agony, prayed over his persecutors, saying “Father, forgive them” {Luke 23:34}. Instead, my Savior has promised that even when I am faithless, he will remain faithful to me {2 Timothy 2:13} Not only did Jesus physically lose his life for me, but he lost his life daily by living simply, humbly, sacrificially and, most of all, righteously so that he could trade his holy life for my unholy life. So God could look upon me and see him in my place.
This is a lost life. A lost life does not have boundaries on how much sacrifice will be made for the Gospel. A lost life means loving without reciprocation, obeying without hesitation, serving without reward and forgiving without restraint. A lost life means following Jesus, even to the point of death.
If I am called to die for Christ, then how foolish of me to think that I can live for Him with my own boundaries. That I can put limits on how much I serve or whom I love or justify my own attitudes when they fall short of joy. There are no boundaries on the lost life – nothing, including life itself, should be withheld from God. Jesus died for us and we are called to live lost lives for him and for the sake of his story – the beautiful Gospel.
"God I am trying to obey you in most things, but I just want to be selfish in this one area."
Sounds way too familiar sometimes! Thanks for the wisdom and encouragement friend! 🙂
Amazing post! The message be hide the post almost reminds me of a chapter in the book Crazy Love where being a luke warm Christian is mentioned. You can't follow Christ sometimes…it just doesn't work that way. I'm slowly, but surely learning to give all areas of my life to Him. Thanks for this powerful message!
Hi
I found you via the Shine project which I read on Tick Tock Vintage and I wanted to thank you for this beautiful reminder of our redeemer's unfailing loyalty and love and how important it is to surrender wholly something I'm trying to be mindful of every day xox Thank you.
such a great reminder dear.
welcome back to real life 🙂