DEVOTION – DAY 115

Mark 8:35 “A Life Of Meaning”

Mark 8:35 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

This verse holds an important truth that affects everyone. We sometimes meet people who looked back upon their lives and were filled with regrets because they thought they had wasted their lives. They look back at the mistakes that they had made and wished they could turn back the clocks and live their lives differently. This is because everyone wants their lives to have meaning and significance. No one wants to live and die alone and forgotten by everyone in their lives as if they never existed at all.

Jesus in Mark 8:35 said that people have a choice in how they want to live. People can choose to live for themselves. People who do that will place their own interests and wants first. They will make decisions in life based on what they think would benefit them. And when they act selfishly, they may get what they want but they will find life empty because true satisfaction in life cannot be found in things or in people. This is true because people who devote their lives to build their careers will find themselves lost one day when they retire because their lives suddenly become empty and they do not know what to do with themselves. People who spend their time devoted to their children will be lost when their children grow up and move abroad to pursue their own dreams. That is why Jesus said that people who spend their lives living for themselves will in the end find their lives wasted and it would be like losing it.

Jesus said that the other way to live is to follow Him and believe in the gospel message – that is what “losing their lives for Him and the gospel” meant. Jesus said that instead of trying to live selfishly for themselves, Jesus invites us to choose to surrender our lives and our own interests, and allow Jesus to show us how we should live. We are to follow what He says as set out in the Bible. We trust in His plans and directions for us. When we do that, we will begin to live a life that is meaningful, fulfilling and deeply satisfying. We will find that the relationships we build would be lasting and have eternal value. This is what Jesus meant by “saving” our lives. We know someone who became very rich in his investments. He may be rich and successful but privately, he has few friends he can trust. He realized that he cannot take any if his wealth with him and there is no guarantee his children will not squander all his wealth. So, he has decided to follow Jesus and he has begun a charitable foundation to help others. He has begun to discover that there is satisfaction in meaning to life when he begins to love God first and to love others as his own body. He has learnt to “save” his life by giving it over to Jesus.

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, thank you for teaching us the true value of surrendering our lives over to you in order to save it. Please help us to put you and your Word first in our lives. In the precious name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Questions

1. What are some examples of the ways people live today to promote their own interests and wants first? Why do they do that? Discuss.
2. Are there areas that you have not surrendered totally to Jesus? Why not? Share and discuss.
3. Why do you think Jesus wants you to surrender totally to Him and His Word?
4. Will you now surrender these areas and trust that Jesus will guide you as to what to do?