priorities

Mark8

34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, (Jesus) said,

"If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition,

take up your cross,

and follow me.

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.

36 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

37 Is anything worth more than your soul?

38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my message in these adulterous and sinful days,

the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."

...what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

In the forefront of the media's choices of what we will see & hear, there seems to be an awful lot of people around who seem to make their top priority to “gain the whole world”.

I have seen so many people come & go from the forefront of life, people who “had it all” but seemingly didn't have a connection to Jesus.

And as each one of them have died, I have wondered...

what would they say to each of us now, if they could?

I think it would be much diff3erent from what they had said while here on earth.

So what does this passage say to us who are still here & alive?

Get your priorities straight?

Keep the main thing the main thing?

Quit chasing fame, fortune, wealth, power, influence – did I mention power?

Maybe to let go of our lives & trust God with our lives?

There's so much to this passage within each layer of truth.

I just hope that more people will see the truth of “...what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

Why?

Because eternity is a very, VERY long time.