Giving Life Away

In review of Mark 8:35 it says, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live.”

Bottom Line:

If you insist on saving your life, it will be lost. If you live your life for Jesus and his Message, then you’ll save it.

What this means to me:

If I insist and try to hang on to my life, I’ll end up losing it. For only those who give up their lives for Jesus and the sake of his Good News, will ever know what it means to really live and save it.

Our world promotes the notion that happiness comes from status, salary, sex or success.  What I’ve learned is that In reality, this is not true. God has wired in that happiness comes from service. God designed me to be happiest when I’m giving my life away.  He does this so that I can become more like him. It’s all about love!

Today’s verse reminds me that, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 LB).

In order to have a happy heart, I need to practice service and generosity every day.

Matthew 20:28 reminds me, “Even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many” (NLT).

Jesus came to serve and give. Those are the two things that will bring more happiness in my life than anything else, and they define what it means to follow Him. If I’m not serving, I’m not giving, and I’m not really following Jesus.

God also wired the universe in such a way that the more I give myself away, the more God gives to me and the more blessed and happier I become.

In Philippians 2:17-18, Paul says, “Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. If I have to offer my own blood with your sacrifice, I will be happy and full of joy with all of you. You also should be happy and full of joy with me” (NCV).

My faith makes me offer my life as a sacrifice and serve God by serving others. Sacrifice and serving are two of the keys to lifelong happiness, along with generously giving my life away for the sake of the Good News.