“What good deed must I do to have eternal life?”
The rich young man spoke these words in Matthew 19:16 and essentially, many Christians say the same today. Now granted, we may not actually say the words, but our actions speak otherwise.
Got to attend church service? Check!
What about giving? Sure, good Christians do that.
Treat others the way I would want to be treated? I’m trying ok!
Forgive when you’ve been wronged? Now this is getting tough!
Already doing those and more? Well good. But don’t get too smug yet. Just like the rich young man, there is always that one thing that is hard to surrender to God. For that man in the passage in Matthew, it was his possessions. And when Jesus asked him to sell all he had, he went away sorrowful (Matthew 19:21-22). He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t surrender all to Jesus.
The question to ask is, what does Jesus want me to surrender in order for me to follow him wholeheartedly? What is that thing that has you in its grasp, that is more important to you than God? Whatever it is, only you know if it’s keeping you from giving yourself to Him completely. Only you know how attached you are to that thing, how much you need it in your life.
Can Christ replace the things you’re holding on to so tightly? Can he ease the fear you have of complete surrender? Is your faith more than a shallow belief rooted in a comfortable form of discipleship that doesn’t ever sacrifice? Let us strive to put God at the center of our lives and allow him to cleanse us and purge out the things of this world that are keeping us from having an intimate relationship with Him.
“Our Christian faith is more than a way to find forgiveness for our sins in order to enter eternal life, yet it is that. It is more than a system of right beliefs about ultimate truth and the order of things, though it is that. And it is more than just a way to find God’s comfort in times of trouble or a helpful code of conduct for how to live a good and productive life, though it is those things too. No, it is a call to leave everything else behind, follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and join in the great mission of Christ in our world. It is a call to live as Jesus lived, to love as Jesus loves and treasure what Jesus treasures. It is a call to forsake all else and follow him. Only then can we become completed people- people living according to God’s deepest purpose for our lives. Only then will we find our life’s great adventure.”
(Richard Stearns, “Unfinished”)
-Joe
Faith and Footsteps 
Great article! It brought to mind the most important thing I had to give up for Christ and how painful the experience had been for me. And how, in retrospect, it would have been so detrimental to my relationship with God when I look back upon my life events.
In hindsight, it’s always easier to look back and see how things in our life hold us back from really getting to know God. But isn’t is great when we finally let those things go and put our full trust in Him? He always keeps his promises and takes care of our needs.
What a great quote at the end. I always enjoy your articles.
Thank you. I had just finished reading that book “Unfinished” by Richard Stearns and I though that quote was very powerful. Pretty much sums up what it means to be a follower of Christ.
It really does, I will have to check that book out. Is it new or would I find it at a library?
My wife actually bought it for me for Christmas but she got it from a Lifeway Christian store if you have one of those near you. I’m sure it can be ordered from Amazon as well.
I will try Amazon thanks for the tip.
This is a great word. “If Jesus isn’t Lord of all, He isn’t Lord at all” as the old addage goes.
That’s right. I find it amazing how much allegiance we’ll show to our country nowadays or much allegiance people showed to their kings of old. If Christ is truly King, then the behavior and life of a Christian would definitely show it.
That is truth!
Thanks again, Joe. I always appreciate your posts. They are always encouraging and a reminder.
I appreciate that. I’m glad the posts are encouraging others but they are more a reminder for myself than anything. I feel if I write through my study of God’s word, I can better understand how to apply it to my life.
Great post, glad I found your site! I’m convinced that God never asks us to give something up without having something better in mind for us. We just get caught up in something lesser then what he has in store for us. When we surrender something to God we get what we really need, a relationship with him.
Absolutely! The intimate relationship we have with God is far greater than any material thing we think he owes us for our devotion. The Bible simply does not teach that He will exceed our physical needs just because that’s the lifestyle we wish to live. On the contrary, Jesus taught that following him would be difficult, that a servant wasn’t above their master and we could expect persecution if we truly are disciples. That’s what real surrender looks like. We give him our all and trust that he keeps his promises for his children. Thanks for stopping by the site and I hope you have a blessed day.