Jesus expects you to abandon your self-preservation instinct

During His ministry, Jesus had certain expectations for His disciples.  One of them was for them to abandon the self-preservation instinct.  “Abandoning one's instinct for self-preservation is a very persistent theme in the New Testament, repeated again and again,” Jeremy Rose notes in one of his article on self-preservation. 

Rose highlighted the following verses to his defense:

• "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).
• "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 9:24).
• "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33).
• "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39).
• "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it" (Matthew 16:25).
• "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it" (Mark 8:35).
• "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25).

Jesus expects us to abandon our self-preservation instincts and experience abundant life.  Self-preservation is an assurance of security, but necessary of abundance.  In finance, the people that expect a great return on their money very often choose the investments that have the greatest risk.  So it is in life; the people that expect a great return on their lives very often settle for the choices that have the greatest risk.

Jesus expects you to abandon your self-preservation instinct

During His ministry, Jesus had certain expectations for His disciples.  One of them was for them to abandon the self-preservation instinct.  "Abandoning one's instinct for self-preservation is a very persistent theme in the New Testament, repeated again and again," Jeremy Rose notes in one of his article on self-preservation.  

Rose highlighted the following verses to his defense:

·        "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends" (John 15:13).

·        "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Luke 9:24).

·        "Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it" (Luke 17:33).

·        "Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it" (Matthew 10:39).

·        "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it" (Matthew 16:25).

·        "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it" (Mark 8:35).

·        "The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life" (John 12:25).

Jesus expects us to abandon our self-preservation instincts and experience abundant life.  Self-preservation is an assurance of security, but necessary of abundance.  In finance, the people that expect a great return on their money very often choose the investments that have the greatest risk.  So it is in life; the people that expect a great return on their lives very often settle for the choices that have the greatest risk.

Jesus came that we may have life, and life more abundantly

Today, we live in a world that places great emphasis on self-preservation – an attitude of reserved existence that has landed many of us risk-averse and achieving average, if not mediocre, levels of success.  Where one could be an innovative and progressive entrepreneur, they are tightly clinging onto a day job that they hate and are content to know that they can expect a pay check at the end of each month in return for their tolerance.  Where one could be a vibrant, life transforming minister to children, you see them week-in week-out in the church pew at ease, "preserving" their dignity and respect.  Where one could be a missionary doctor to Africa, you see them practicing in one of the posh hospitals of the world.

Jesus came that we may have life, and life more abundantly (John 10:10). Abundant life sometimes means loosening the grip on yourself and your life and forging into miry waters – a new business venture, a new role in ministry, a new location, the enemy's camp, anywhere you have never been before.  Miry waters are where the avenues to abundant living are sometimes hidden.  

Take the example of some of the people that have achieved great things in their lives.  Henry Ford left the farming business that his father passed to him and pursued an engineering career instead. Ford invented the first automobile with a combustion engine and contributed to improved transportation and an improved economy in the 1920s.

George Washington Carver turned down a $100,000 salary offer from Thomas Edison, to continue research work that would improve the livelihood of mankind. Among his discoveries were more than 300 products from the peanut (including Peanut Butter), 175 from the sweet potato, and 60 from the pecan.  Before he died, Carver donated over $60,000 of his life's savings to the George Washington Carver Foundation and willed the rest of his estate to the organization so his work might be carried on after his death.

Even the bible is full of cases of people that abandoned the way of self-preservation and walked into the way of abundant living.  Take Queen Esther for example. Queen Esther broke protocol and appeared before King Xerxes without invitation so that she could plead for the lives of the Jews (which was granted).  Queen Esther's actions ransomed her life as well as the lives of the Jews.

Another example is Ruth. Ruth clung onto Naomi and landed in the land of Israel where Boaz married her and she lived a better life than the one that she would have lived if she had stayed in Moab.

The four leapers also abandoned the way of self-preservation and walked into the way of abundant living.  Not only did they save themselves, but also the city of Samaria, which was suffering from a severe draught, through their act of courage that could have cost them their lives.

Jesus came that we may have life, and life more abundantly. Are you going to give it away for self-preservation or you are going to abandon the way of self-preservation and walked into the way of abundant living?  

The Great Light

I lit a light above you
But you hid into night's darkness
Even there I lit a match and led it before you
But you blew it out
Then I set a lamp before you
But you turned your head to look the other side
I then sent a torched army to surround you
Even then you hid your eyes into the ground
Where then do you expect to see the light?
Where should I search you?
Where will I meet you?
Why are you acting so stubborn?
I lit a light above you
But you hid into night's darkness
Even there I lit a match and led it before you
But you blew it out
Then I set a lamp before you
But you turned your head to look the other side
I then sent a torched army to surround you
Even then you hid your eyes into the ground