God wants to get rid of what you lack in your life and fill your life with Him and His Kingdom!
So what more can you do to be part of God’s Kingdom? The rich young ruler asked Jesus this question, a question we should be actively asking God today.
Jesus told the rich young ruler: “Sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me” (Matthew 19:21 NIV). God is not asking for us to give away all of our earthly possessions and wealth. We are not meant to live in poverty in the Kingdom of God. He does not want to take from us—He is our provider.
What we lack is not material. We cannot fill our sense of emptiness, our feeling of lack, our desire for more with more money, more possessions, or more entertainment! No, we must turn to God, pursue Him unceasingly, and get more of Him in our lives!
Don’t disqualify yourself from receiving the power and presence of God in your life! God wants to deal with every single one of us in some area specific to each of our lives. For the rich young ruler, that area was his great wealth. The man placed his wealth in the highest esteem in his life, to the point that it was the competition to God.
Jesus called us to set aside those distractions, the things in our lives hindering and preventing us from following Him. If we don’t wholeheartedly give our lives to God and walk in His Kingdom, we must ask ourselves: Can I walk away from Jesus without having a deep relationship with Him and knowing His power, presence, glory, and immeasurable life?
If you can get rid of the competition, you will have a brand new life with Jesus.
Steve Gray
Today is the day to get rid of the competition and put God first! Only then can you get rid of what you lack and be full of God!
16 Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”
17 “Why do you ask me about what is good?” Jesus replied. “There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, keep the commandments.”
18 “Which ones?” he inquired.
Jesus replied, “‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony,
19 honor your father and mother,’and ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”
20 “All these I have kept,” the young man said. “What do I still lack?”
21 Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
22 When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.
24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?”
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
27 Peter answered him, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”
28 Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife[e] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.
30 But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.
Matthew 5:5 (NIV)
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Questions:
Do I experience a feeling of lack in my life?
What am I making Jesus compete against in my life?
Are there things that I give more time, attention, and priority to over God?
How can I get rid of the competition against Jesus in my life?
Episode Notes:
15:50Jesus is saying, “I want you to follow me, but you’re going to have to get rid of the competition. I will not compete with your possessions [and] your wealth.”
17:28If you can get rid of the competition, you will have a brand new life with Jesus.
17:46Jesus is not going to compete for your love, your attention, what you feel is important.
18:49We have something that’s in the way of this relationship with Jesus Christ.
