Losing Your Life for Jesus – Mark 8
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.” — Mark 8:35
Followers of Jesus have to see things in a totally different light. In Mark 8:22-26, we read of a blind man being healed. He began by seeing a little bit and then when Jesus put His hands on his eyes again, he saw clearly.
The recording of this miracle at this stage seems to illustrated what needed to happen to the disciples. They needed to see Jesus clearly, so they would trust Him and have faith (v.17).
Once they saw who Jesus really was (v.37-29), it would change everything for them. It would change how they saw their own life. Those who know who Jesus is should be willing to “deny themselves” and be willing to die to self and follow Jesus. They should be willing to lose their lives completely for Christ.
Those who lose their lives for Christ and the gospel will actually find it. They who try to hang on to their lives will eventually lose it.
What are we hanging onto today? Are we focused on self-preservation? Are we worried about what we look like, what we want, what makes us happy? Or are we focused on Christ and what pleases Him?
If we are not ashamed of Him, He will not be ashamed of us. He will reward us when He returns. But if we seek to hold on to our life and this world and deny Christ, we end up losing even our own soul.