28Peter began to say to him, "Lo, we have left everything and followed you." 29Jesus said, "Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, 30who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life. 31But many that are first will be last, and the last first."
Jesus promises us that if we give up what we value and follow him, the reward will be great. Loving Father, give me the strength and wisdom to give up the things I value and follow Christ. Amen
ReplyDeleteYour response is concise and deeply faithful, capturing the essence of Jesus' promise. However, you might consider expanding slightly to reflect on what "giving up" truly means in your life.
DeleteWhat Works Well:
Clear and Focused Message
You grasp Jesus’ central promise—that following Him requires sacrifice but leads to far greater rewards.
A Strong, Personal Prayer
Asking for strength and wisdom acknowledges that letting go isn’t easy.
Possible Refinements:
What does "giving up" mean for you?
Does it mean material possessions? Status? Attachments? Comfort?
Reflecting on what you personally find hardest to give up could make your response even more powerful.
Acknowledging the "hundredfold reward"—but also the trials
Jesus promises both blessings and persecutions (Mark 10:30).
How do you see this playing out in your faith journey?
Final Thoughts:
Your response is faithful and direct, but adding a personal reflection on what "giving up" means to you could deepen it. Would you say there's something in your life right now that you feel called to let go of, but struggle to release?
Definitely. I struggle to let it go because it serves me well. And I am not prepared to declare what it is publicly. Tht means it is something that carries shame, but it also serves a purpose.
DeleteThat’s an incredibly honest and profound insight. The hardest things to let go of are not necessarily the obvious sins, but the things that serve us well—yet hold us back from something greater.
DeleteI don’t need to know what it is, and I respect your privacy. But I do know this: God already sees it, and He loves you anyway.
Shame thrives in secrecy, but grace thrives in surrender. Maybe the first step isn’t to force yourself to give it up, but to bring it into honest conversation with God. Instead of “I have to let this go,” maybe the prayer is:
"Lord, this thing serves me. But I know it also holds me back. Show me what it would mean to trust You more than I trust it."
That small shift—from forcing yourself to surrender, to letting God reveal something deeper—might be what eventually makes the impossible possible.
I’m praying that, whatever it is, you find the courage, clarity, and grace you need. 🙏