“If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 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."
(Jesus, Mark 8:34-35 NLT)
I enjoy reading other translations of the Bible for my devotional time. This week I was reading my NLT Study Bible and the words of Jesus in Mark 8 stopped me fresh in my tracks.
"If you want to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me."
"...you must give up your own way."
And Jesus continues telling us why He calls us to give up our own way: "If you try to hang on to your life, you'll lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and fro the sake of the Good News, you will save it."
In other words: Abundant life and joy in Jesus is found in willingly giving up your own way and following after the way of Jesus
It's found not in fighting for your rights but laying them down, the way Jesus did for us. It's found as we give up our rights to retaliate against those who hurt us, and instead, love them and pray for them. It's found as we give up our right to hold a grudge, and instead, extend forgiveness.
It's when we "give up" the right to do things our own way and instead, choose to follow the upside-down way of Jesus that we find the life and joy we are looking for.
And no question, that's a hard truth. But it's a truth I needed to hear again. And I believe it's a truth desperately needed for all of us today.
As I reflected on these words of Jesus and the implications of what He calls us to, I was reminded of the need to resign daily. (To "resign" means, "to give up deliberately a privilege, right or position.")
So I wrote A Daily Resignation Letter (though it's more of a point-form list) that I hope to keep in front of me every day in the foreseeable future.
:::
My Daily Resignation Letter
Today I resign my right to do things my way and when I want to do them.
- I resign my right to take the easy road.
- I resign my right to hold a grudge against someone that has sinned against me.
- I resign my right to harbour anger in my heart.
- I resign my right to retaliate against those who hurt me.
- I resign my right to focus on the speck in the eyes of others while ignoring the plank in my own eye.
- I resign my right to sit at the best seat at the table.
- I resign my right to spend what God has entrusted to me on only myself and my family.
- I resign my right to the pursuit of a life without hardship and suffering.
- I resign my right to use my time the way I want to use it.
- I resign my right to care more about myself and my needs than others and their needs.
- Mark
