Mark 8:34-37
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?
Anyone who intends to be with Jesus must let Him lead. You’re not driving, He is at the wheel. Don’t run from suffering, embrace it. Follow Him and Hell show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is Christ’s way to saving yourself, your true self. What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you? What could you ever trade your soul for? God Made the universe in a way that happiness does not come from anything the world has to offer.
When have you experienced happiness through serving?
God designed us to be happiest when we are giving our lives away to help others, because He wants us to become more like Him and He gave himself away for us because He loves us. To truly experience joy, we need to practice service to others and kindness daily.
Matthew 20:26-28
Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— 28 just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus came to give Himself and serve humanity and the individual. Those two things will bring us greater joy and happiness than anything else in our lives. Living out this truth is what it means to follow Jesus. If we’re not serving other with a generous spirit, then we’re not doing what Jesus says is following Him.
Our faith causes us to offer our lives as a sacrifice and to serve God by joyfully serving others. Serving and sacrifice are key to lifelong happiness.
What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through these scriptures?
