“And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

Mark 10:21-22

The rich young man in this parable was like many new believers today. He was very enthusiastic about the things of God and being in the presence of Jesus. He was excited to learn even more about the commandments and grow in his knowledge of the scriptures. On the outside one would think that this rich young man was a very exceptional follower of Christ. He had upheld the commandments ever since his youth. He was a prosperous man in the area of finance. He seemingly had everything going for him. But when Jesus addressed him concerning lordship, he walked away sad.

The Lord asked him to surrender that which became a competing priority in his life towards spiritual growth and his full potential. So many things compete for our time and devotion. Don’t let that “one thing” hold you back from discovering God’s ultimate plan for your life. The pathway to that discovery is “discipleship.” And the door to discipleship is “surrender.” In this particular passage, wealth was more important to the young man than living a surrendered life to God’s will and purpose.

On the other hand, Peter and the disciples said, “We have left everything to follow you!” Jesus replied that there was just no possible way that we could ever out-give God. He gave us His only Son, Jesus. He redeemed our lives from destruction and through faith we received the gift of salvation and eternal life. He promised that we will not fail to receive a hundred times as much as we’ve sown even in this present age. God has given us an abundant life in Christ Jesus.

SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
God wants to unlock the potential of greatness that He has seeded in everyone of us. But it will first require a surrendered heart to His Lordship over our lives. Before Jesus asked this young man to follow him as a disciple, Jesus first ministered to him about the “one thing.” What’s hindering you from God’s absolute best? Let’s decide to live a life of surrender and discover God’s plan and purpose for our lives through discipleship. Allow someone to speak into your life and help you on your faith-filled journey. (Pastor Wally Matanza)

TODAY’S DECLARATION
“Father, I believe that you have a plan and purpose for my life. I choose to live a life of surrender. My life belongs to you. Continue to mold and shape me into the person that you have called me to be. I place my absolute trust and confidence in Your Word. You desire to give me your very best. Therefore, I choose to live a life of faith and surrender.”

TODAY’S BIBLE READING

• Old Testament: 1 Chronicles 1-2; Psalms 123-124
• New Testament: Luke 7:11-17; Colossians 1:1-14