A cool trade off
We trade off lots of things in life to get what we want. We negotiate and compromise. Maybe it could be trading off an attractive job offer for a less dizzying one with ultimately more versatile choices. We could trade off living in an exclusive area of town to be nearer a parent or loved one. We trade off immediate pleasure for future rewards; like when in college, choosing to study rather than go partying so that we can make better grades. All these trade offs are regarded as the way to go. They are to be admired. They are 'cool'.
Jesus talked of a particular trade off that's definitely uncool. In the Bible, in Matthew's gospel, chapter 16 verse 26, he says
Matthew 16:26
What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?
There's nothing that any of us can give in exchange for his soul. You know why? Because we did not acquire our souls. What you didn't purchase or acquire in any other way is not yours to give away.
In our experience in today's world we actually think that our life is ours to live or give away the way we like. We couldn't be more wrong! We are making uncool trade offs giving our life to pleasure, money, and other things. Anything but God! I want to quote a more extended version of the scriptures above.
Matthew 16:25-27
25If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. 26What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul? 27The Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward all people for what they have done.
Jesus is telling us in these verses how to make cool trade offs. How to delay immediate gratification for future glory. He says that he will SOON come back to give rewards to ALL people for what they've done. What does he rather we do? Give up our lives, not for fame or fortune, but for HIM. We can all do that today because Jesus is everywhere, invisible but watching and listening, ready to assist anyone who asks for his help, on his own terms. We can talk to him and tell him that we want to take him up on his offer. We want to make HIS kind of trade off. Give our lives to him now and truly find them back, here and now, and more! When he comes with his angels receive rewards to which nothing on this earth could compare. That's some cool trade off. Don't you think?
Jesus talked of a particular trade off that's definitely uncool. In the Bible, in Matthew's gospel, chapter 16 verse 26, he says
Matthew 16:26
What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul?
There's nothing that any of us can give in exchange for his soul. You know why? Because we did not acquire our souls. What you didn't purchase or acquire in any other way is not yours to give away.
In our experience in today's world we actually think that our life is ours to live or give away the way we like. We couldn't be more wrong! We are making uncool trade offs giving our life to pleasure, money, and other things. Anything but God! I want to quote a more extended version of the scriptures above.
Matthew 16:25-27
25If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find it. 26What will you gain, if you own the whole world but destroy yourself? What would you give to get back your soul? 27The Son of Man will soon come in the glory of his Father and with his angels to reward all people for what they have done.
Jesus is telling us in these verses how to make cool trade offs. How to delay immediate gratification for future glory. He says that he will SOON come back to give rewards to ALL people for what they've done. What does he rather we do? Give up our lives, not for fame or fortune, but for HIM. We can all do that today because Jesus is everywhere, invisible but watching and listening, ready to assist anyone who asks for his help, on his own terms. We can talk to him and tell him that we want to take him up on his offer. We want to make HIS kind of trade off. Give our lives to him now and truly find them back, here and now, and more! When he comes with his angels receive rewards to which nothing on this earth could compare. That's some cool trade off. Don't you think?
posted by Shegs at 11:57 PM
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