The Key

Matthew 16:^25-26 “Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?” (MSG)

It is important that you take care of your soul. Take care of your mental health. Take care of yourself. Mark 8:^36-37 “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?” What do you benefit if you have all the accolades and the applause of the world, but you lose your own soul? Is anything really, really worth more than your soul? Guess what? If you back up just one verse, Jesus actually gives us the key.

Mark 8:³⁵ “If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and for the sake of the Good News, you will save it.” If you hang on to your life and you pull back from the things that pertain to God and to the Kingdom, God is saying, you will lose it. But if you give it up for God and for His Kingdom, you will save it. I didn’t write the Bible. Check it out for yourself. It is right there in your Bible. That is key for us who are believers and for the world also. Whosoever shall save his life will lose it. You have been serving God, giving to the things of God, and sacrificing. And now you want to pull back, God is saying, don’t do it because it may appear sweet initially. But in the end, you will lose the things you are trying to save.

It is following God and serving God that brought you to where you are now. It is your serving God and following God that will take you to your destiny in this decade of destiny. If you hang on to your life, you will be exposed to all sorts of things. But if you give it up for His sake and for the sake of His Kingdom, you will save it. Just like the story of the trees in Judges 9:8-15 (please read). The trees asked the olive tree to be their king. The olive tree said, I am fruitful where God has planted me, blessing both God and men. I can’t leave all this to be king over the trees. Being king over the trees appears to be a promotion, right?

However, the promotion of your destiny is in your place of your assignment and fruitfulness, not in the position that men can put you. So, the trees went to the fig tree and the grapevine with the same request. And both the fig and the grapevine chose to stay in the place of their fruitfulness and assignment, where God has planted them. Then they went to the bramble (the thornbush) that has no fruit, only thorns. It is not useful, always causing hurt and pain. They said come and be king over the trees. And it said, finally you all have come to your lord. Empty barrels make the most noise. Read the story in Judges 9:8-15 to find out what happened next.

Prayer: Father, I ask for the wisdom, strength, and courage to remain planted and rooted in my place of assignment and fruitfulness, blessing God and man, in the Name of Jesus. Amen!