Luke 9:24-25 (VOICE)
If you try to avoid danger and risk, then you’ll lose everything. If you let go of your life and risk all for My sake, then your life will be rescued, healed, made whole and full. Listen, what good does it do you if you gain everything—if the whole world is in your pocket—but then your own life slips through your fingers and is lost to you?
Back in the late sixties, the hippy generation coin the phrase “find yourself” which eventually made itself into conversations, books, and movies. While indulging themselves in drugs, sex, and pleasure, they turn their back on the establishment in search of meaning and purpose. They saw the hypocrisy of the current generation and used the excuse to escape any personal responsibility for their corrupted behavior. Their solution was to openly display the carnal behavior of human passion. Though they recognize the cultural problem, their method was just as self-indulging as the institutions they disdained.
Contrary to some, Jesus wasn’t a hippy. In His culture, He was considered a super rabbi who interpreted the Scriptures in a most unique way. His ability to mix Scripture with the human psyche made Him an authority of His time (Luke 4:31-33). When you are the designer and builder of a project, you have more insight than those who come afterward. History demonstrates Jesus was there in the beginning of time and therefore knows more about human life than those around us.
Jesus statement is geared toward the human heart and all of us who recognize the emptiness and hunger for more than what we see around us. His solution is for humanity to find something much larger than just survival, or earning a living, or accomplishing a major goal. If one wants to find purpose and meaning with life, the solution is to surrender the self and join Him on His quest.
Our natural inclination to give up all our dreams and desires doesn’t come easy. Most of the time only after we are beaten to the pulp emotionally, physically, socially, or financially do we consider His words. Yet those who have surrendered to King Jesus and His plans for humanity, can vouch His words are true. When one puts everything on the line to support Him in every area of one’s world, He becomes the center of life and we experience a taste of heavenly living.
In hindsight, when one recognizes they have been rescued, healed, and made whole, then life becomes a living testament of experiencing God’s Kingdom on earth every day. We want everyone to know the real Jesus and His Father and the Spirit which empower us to maximize our human potential while we help build His Kingdom on earth today.
If you gain everything you always wanted but your soul is embattled and crippled beyond despair, wouldn’t you trade everything to know the peace and love and joy which radiates from God and puts meaning and purpose in everything you see, think, and do?
The hippy generation recognized the problem but not the solution. If you want to find yourself, you first must lose yourself in the arms of Jesus.
Rooting For You in Christ!
Dr. Mike
Encourager & Founder of
Vocational Leadership 360
Author of e-Books:
* Dancing With God: Life-Giving Theology Explained
* Great Business Emulates a Good God
* Be Radical…Follow Christ!
* Simply The Messenger
* Unequally Married
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