Gain the whole world ... loose you soul

My Money and Me --- Really?

Jesus asked his disciples a question that has been pondered by people down through the centuries: “What good is it if someone gains the whole world but loses his soul?” (Mark 8:36 NIrV)

One of the brooding realities of human nature is the continual desire for more. It does not matter who a person is, their cultural and familial background or how old they are – there seems to be a continual drive for more. Put a group of people together and the individuals in the group won’t necessarily want more of the same thing but the individuals in the group will want more of some thing.

People don’t seem satisfied with one of a collection or few pieces of a collection. There seems to be a need to have the whole collection. Nobody can eat just one … Will the whole collection really satisfy anyway? Once I have the whole collection - what comes next? What is the next collection that I’ll need to have? What price am I willing to pay to have the collection?

History records countless people from all times, cultures, socio-economic levels and family backgrounds who have ‘lost their soul’ trying to gain something or someone. Some have lost their soul trying to gain money. Some have lost their soul trying to gain fame, status, pleasure, power, a certain person, position or possession. Some have lost their soul trying to gain acceptance and others trying to gain a continually elusive level of success.

Fortunately many people learn the lesson that nothing is worth the value of their soul before they ‘loose’ their soul. The wrestle with ‘gaining’ vs. ‘losing our soul’ is a wrestle that never ends and has to be continually fought. We never seem to get away from the desire for more. Within a short time of pushing the desire out it seems to creep back in. What ‘gain’ has tempted you? What ‘desire for more’ has been trying to pin you to the mat? What have you gone after at a cost to some of your soul?

Jesus, we need your strength to fight against the perpetual ‘desire for more’ in our life. We recognize that it is there and that it rears its ugly head pretty often. Give us courage, wisdom and strength to continually fight against that desire. Make us into people who know what it means to be content. Amen