What would you give up?

In the book of Mark, chapter 10, is told the story of a man who asks Jesus how to have eternal life.  Jesus’ directive to follow the Commandments meets with the affirmation that he has always done so.  The narrative then says that “Jesus beholding him loved him.”  He said to the man, sell all your stuff, give the money to the poor, and follow me.  That didn’t sit well with the fellow (because he was very attached to his stuff) and he walked away.

What if the woman of widow’s mite fame (see Mark 12: 41-44) had come and asked Jesus the same question?  Surely he would not have asked her to sell all that she had and give it to the poor.  No, beholding her and loving her, he would have discerned what one thing she was clinging to that separated her from embracing eternal life.  Maybe he would have told her to let the dead bury their dead.  (see Luke 9:60)

And what about the Centurion?  Would Jesus have asked him to sell everything?  Probably not, but – beholding him and loving him – he might have asked him to worship only one God.  He was a Roman and had many gods.  (see Matt 4:10)

What are you holding onto that is so dear that you wouldn’t give it up even for eternal life?  We make the mistake of thinking that the very thing we are cherishing IS our life.  We ask ourselves, who would we be if we didn’t have that thing or activity or viewpoint? Yet anything that keeps us from loving God with all our hearts, minds, and souls is not life – it’s limitation.  Because it keeps our attention on ourselves.

God, divine Love, doesn’t ever ask us to give up our actual life for Him, just a false sense of life. Beholding you and loving you He gives you everything.  He just asks that you put Him first.

What would you be willing to give up to have everything?

Melissa Hayden is a Christian Science practitioner in Salem, OR. You can find more information and additional articles at this link.  If you like what you’re reading, click the “add me” button.