Read John 12:23-28. Circle the words that stand out to you. What is the Lord saying to you?
23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
27 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”
Reflections on the Word.
Have you ever read any missionary stories? As a young Christian, I enjoy reading missionary stores of William Carey, Adoniram Judson, Hudson Taylor, John Wesley, Corrie Ten Boom, and Watchman Nee. If you chose to read the stories of great Christian men and women, you will be touched in your heart and spirit.
Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” All those men and women counted the cost and paid the price for being sold out for Jesus. It is because of their dedication and sacrifices that they affected a generation of people in the countries that they served in.
Jesus makes this startling statement, “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”
As Christians, we say that we live for Jesus. We must ask ourselves this question, “What does it mean for you and me to “live for Jesus”? Is there a difference in your mind between “living for Jesus” and surrendering everything to Jesus? Saying that we “live for Jesus” is easy. Surrendering and following Jesus is truly hard.
To deny one’s own dreams, even the American Dream to follow Jesus is too much to ask for most Christians. We subscribed to following Jesus, but we are more persuaded by fame and fortune in this world. As yourself, “How many people do I personally know who loves their current lifestyle but would be willing to give it all up to follow Jesus? Fewer still: How many people have you witnessed do this?
Give up a prestigious promotion so that we can have more time to serve Jesus? Not being a FOMO so that we can have enough margin in our lives to say, “yes” to the Lord’s direction? Living on less so that we can give more to further His Kingdom? Proactively choosing to live in a modest home instead of constantly updating to keep with the Joneses?
Do you believe that you will find your life by loving your life or by hating your life that you will find it? Jesus’ statement runs counterintuitive to our deeply held believes and feelings. The more we let this world grip our hearts, the deeper our spiritual poverty.
-Kingston