You lack one thing

Today’s Encouragement is Mark 10:21-22 And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” [22] Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

You lack one thing –

Friends, we lie to ourselves sometimes.  

This man did.  He had kept God’s commandments with great focus and attention.  He was careful to be obedient.  He had a good heart, he truly wanted to honor God with all of his life… but – as Jesus said, “You lack one thing”.   Interesting way to put it…  all the effort he had put into doing the right things, Jesus acknowledged those are good, but … something, one thing, is not being addressed…. 

Jesus doesn’t name it… but might it be… 

Surrender?

Jesus said, “sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and come, follow me.”  

This man, whom Jesus looked at with love, had done all that he could to obey the law, and interestingly the law did not require what Jesus said was lacking.  There was no law given: Surrender all your possessions and give it all away.  Nor any commandment before this time of: “Come Follow Me”.  

This story isn’t about the evil of greed, or wealth, nor is it about the blessings of generosity, nor the glory of a virtuous life… rather it is about the heart- that which is our primary purpose, goal, – our primary love.  

When we come to truly trust God and to believe Him, then we recognize that our possessions do not matter, our good deeds do not matter, our efforts in any and everything… do not matter.  Because only He matters!  

God simply wants ALL of us, all of me and all of you… our hearts totally His, not torn between Him and this world, nor Him and family, nor Him and possessions…

Total surrender to Him is recognizing that – nothing else matters but Him.  He will tend to everything else.  

My heart is Yours

Passion