“Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, “One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven: and come follow Me.”
What one thing do I lack letting loose of for the Lord? Is it my heart? A house? An automobile? My finances? Is it an attitude of pride in my good works? Is there a hidden sin of fraud that I have not faced up to? Or, do I justify my one hold out with the 95% I have surrendered? Idols have a way of subtly suffocating my unconditional surrender to my Savior Jesus.
Yet--He loves us--even when we dismiss Him in disobedience, or ignore His invitation to intimacy. Because He cares for His children, He raises His expectations for us to exceed what the world does. He looks at our inconsistencies and lovingly exposes our hypocrisies. Jesus knows it takes extreme measures to root out idols that have so deceived us that we don’t recognize their control. Like an addict that denies addiction, we act like things are all right when in fact we lack giving up the one thing that hurts Him.
Are you able to follow Him wholeheartedly, or is there a portion of your heart that has yet to feel the freedom of surrender? Has a child or a career garnered more of your attention that Christ and the poor? Once you surrender 100%, Jesus has you in a position to receive His blessing. What you give over to Jesus qualifies to be given back by Jesus.
What you give up, He makes up for exponentially. Like the fish and loaves (Mark 8:4-9) that were given up on behalf of the masses, He multiplied their provision with providential care. Therefore, surrender your soul, your relationships, your opportunities, your finances, your job, your children, your thought life, your health and your trust. Surrendering to Jesus leads to sweet success in your Savior’s eyes. Make your one thing… His thing.
“Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42).
What is the one thing I lack giving up for the Lord? How will my surrendering bless others?
Related Readings: Genesis 42:34; 1 Samuel 1:27-28; Matthew 16:26; Acts 3:6
Source: Wisdom Hunters by Boyd Bailey
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