Gain the whole world

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? – Mark 8.35-36

Man’s greed and desire to get it all has been the source of our struggles from Adam and Eve, to their son Cain, and all through history. Mankind seems bent on getting all it can get for itself. From the days of infancy to the very end we are inclined to say ‘what about me?’

When it is all said and done all that we have gathered here on earth is not going to do us any good for eternity. There is nothing we can take away with us. We can spend our whole lives in pursuit of stuff, but where is the profit in that?

When we sing ‘I have decided to follow Jesus’ with a true heart we are telling Him that we are willing to give up all for Him. While we are here that seems like a tremendous sacrifice, but is it really? We only live on earth a tiny part of our eternity. We focus on a miniscule amount of time instead of focusing on eternity. Indeed, what is the use of that? Why would we sacrifice the needs of our eternal soul for our temporal bodies?

Let us not therefore, look on the seen which is passing away but the unseen which is eternal. Let’s not gain the whole world at the cost of our soul. It will be worth it all.