Then Jesus told his disciples, “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 will find it.”
Matthew 16:24–25, ESV
We have come to the end of Lent and the 40 Things to Give Up. The last on the list is to give up “my life.”
On the surface, this may seem like a strange one. But it is the calling of Jesus. He says, “the one who loses his life for my sake will find it.”
This is all about what you are living for. Are you living for the weekend? Are you living for the next thrill? Are you living to build up your wealth? Are you living to make a name for yourself?
We have one life to live and Jesus invites us to live that life for him. There are sacrifices involved. But there are always sacrifices involved. There are things we give up every day to make way for our priorities.
To give up my life is to give up what I want for what God wants. It may seem like a tremendous sacrifice. But Jesus tells us that we will never regret anything that we give up for him.
One of my favorite hymns is “Take My Life, and Let It Be.” It sums up well the idea of giving up my life.
Take my life and let it be
consecrated, Lord, to thee.
Take my moments and my days;
let them flow in endless praise,
let them flow in endless praise.
We have looked at 40 ways to give up habits and hang-ups so that we can fully live for Jesus. The list can be overwhelming. Tackling the items on this list does not happen overnight. In fact, it will always be a work in progress during this lifetime.
Now that we have completed the list, take a look at it one more time. What is one item on that list that would make the biggest difference? Then focus on that one item for the next week, the next month, the next year. Ask for God’s help and let the Spirit move. Ultimately, this list is not so much about what is lost, but what is gained when we let go and let God!
Thank you Pastor for the 40 things to give up!
They all were thought provoking for sure. Some stood out more than others for me.
Thank you for this year’s list. You are so correct, it will take a lot of thought, prayer and action on the ones that I highlighted.
God Bless You Pastor!! Thank you for sharing 40 things to give up! My mind was opened, soul searched, heart convicted. Trying our best to implement these sacrifices into our life on a daily basis will keep us grateful, thankful,and hopeful no matter the circumstances! The Holy Spirit will help us make the changes to become more Christ like. We just have to pray for transformation without ceasing in the name of Jesus Christ.