Key Verse: John 12:23-26, "23 Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."
Take a moment and think about the answer to the following questions:
What do you hold most dearly? What is the one thing you value about all else? What is the one specific thing you hold on to most?
Don't move on without stopping for a moment and thinking about your answers.
Got it? How did you respond? Did your answer take the form of an object, such as your i-phone, your electric guitar, your laptop, or your car? Or maybe your answer took the form of a relationship; maybe the thing you value the most is your parent or parents, your siblings, or maybe even your best friend. However you responded, hopefully you were able to think of one thing you particularly value above all else.
Your answer to the question "What do you hold most dearly?" actually reveals a lot about your priorities. It may not seem like it at first, but your answer says a lot about how you view the world. Keep that though in mind as we pause for a moment.
Stop and read John 12:23-26. Jesus was in Jerusalem for a special celebration called the Passover Feast. The passover celebrated the Lord delivering the Jews from slavery in Egypt. Shortly before this passage, Jesus' followers had heaped praises on Him as he entered the city. Yet, Jesus knew His time was drawing to an end. In this passage, Jesus' words let us know that He knew exactly the sacrifice He would soon make on the cross.
Look back at verses 25-26. Jesus basically says we cannot follow Him if the thing we hold most dear is our own life. Jesus is helping His followers (and that includes you) understand that their lives should be totally committed to God literally! You should view your life as if it belonged to God. You should treat your life as something that is to be given over, sacrificed for God to use and direct in order to draw glory to Himself.
You cannot follow God if you hold too dearly to this life. To be the greatest credit to God's Kingdom you should view your relationship with Christ as most important, above all else in your life. Only then will you be able to fully embrace your role as a part of His mission.
How can you begin to let go of your life, giving yourself over to God to be used as He sees fit?
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