Don’t Gain the Whole World just to Lose Your Soul

In the Bible, Mark 8:36 reads “What profit is there for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (usccb.org) God is on your side. 

As one of my favorite Christian singers paraphrases,  “I don’t want to gain the whole world and lose my soul.” (TobyMac, Lose My Soul). 

What does that mean? I think if you listen to the song, you get the gist.

In life, there are so many distractions to pull us away from what is truly important.

Out of the Wisdom Books of the Bible, let’s read Sirach 2:1-18 (usccb.org), Duties toward God. The following are key principles as I interpreted them from this chapter.

Prepare Yourself for God’s Purpose

There is much wisdom in this chapter. It talks about preparing yourself.  How do you do that?

• Vision

          You must first have a vision of where you are headed, where God wants you to go.

• Plan

          Once you have your vision, you can create a plan. Be sure to stay flexible.

• Mindset

          Keep a positive mindset. God has got you!

• Faith

          Make sure you have a foundational faith to carry you through the challenges.

• Faith Practices

         Live your faith daily with prayer and meditation.

These tips in the preparation stage will help you create a strong foundation to live your life as God intended.

Accept What Happens

We need to accept whatever happens. We cannot control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to what happens. 

• Positive Mindset

          Always look for the gift or opportunity in every situation to help you move forward.

• Faith

          Faith is your foundation for strength and perseverance. Lean on God.

• Patience

          This is a virtue you will definitely need as you encounter challenges and setbacks.

• Gratitude

          Be grateful for everything, what you have, what you don’t have and the experiences you have lived.

Being able to accept what happens will empower you to move forward in the role that God created you for. 

Trust in God

Without trust in God, you will be unfocused, tempted and lost.

• Cling to God

          God loves you and wants only the best for you.

• Hope

          Have that “… feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen.” (Google)

• Be Bold

           Take action with faith not fear. God gave you a purpose. Live it.

Trust that God is there for you and will either equip you with what you need by experience or by the people who enter your life.

For me, I have both. I have experiences that have helped (made) me grow and have people who have entered my life that ground me and turn me to God.

Remember that God is “compassionate and merciful.” Sirach 2:11

Obey God

Obey God and fulfill His purpose for you. This can be difficult with all of the societal noise we encounter every day. 

• Pray

         Prayer is conversation with God. Keep the lines of communication open.

• Listen

          Communication requires at least two participants. Listening is an integral part of communication.

• Act

         Without action, there are no works. Be bold in your actions.

Obeying God and living the purpose He has chosen for you requires knowing. Knowing what His plans are for you, how to proceed and how to overcome challenges. Doing God’s work definitely brings on the challenges as the enemy tries to stop you from succeeding in living out God’s plan and doing His will.

Distractions from God’s Purpose for You

The world is full of distractions. Society wants to cancel faith. You are taught to worship money and material things. You are told your needs, values and opinions are above everyone else’s.

In TobyMac’s song, Lose My Soul, the lyrics (genius.com) speak to this:

“Father God, I am clay in your hands

I wanna stay that way through all life’s demands

‘Cause they chip and they nag and they pull at me

And every little thing I make up my mind to be”

.

Remember:

“Let us fall into the hands of the Lord

and not into the hands of mortals,

For equal to his majesty is his mercy;

and equal to his name are his works” Sirach 2:18

Stay steadfast in your faith so you “don’t gain the whole world just to lose ‘your’ soul.”

Surround yourself with people of like mind, faith and values.

As you build your faith support group, make sure you are also supporting others in their faith journey called life.

Remember, I am always here for you, just reach out!