Gospel Reflections #676: To give up self is not a loss but a great gain.

Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare even his Son to death for us all, how could he not give us all things with him?"

The Lord looks with compassion on those who have given themselves over to the burdens of family concerns and business difficulties.

Such people worry about many things, mostly because they want to get their own way, and they neglect the one thing that is essential.

The "one essential thing" is first and foremost to seek God's kingdom and His righteousness. The Bible promises that everything else will be given in addition.

The promise is that we should not look to the world, but to eternity.

Eternity does not mean immortality, but a world in which we will live with God.

We will live in the world until Jesus comes for us, but living in the world is not a life recognised or celebrated according to worldly values, but a life that represents the light of the Kingdom of God while still in the world.

It is to live a life filled with joy and hope, seeking God's wisdom and protection while accepting the absurdity of the world.

This is why Jesus died on the cross and why God the Heavenly Father gave his only Son as our sacrifice.

Even if our life is not good at all in this world, even if it is a life of hardship and sorrow, in the world God has prepared for us, he will turn our suffering into joy and our sorrow into thanksgiving, He changes everything.

This comes about because Jesus chooses and devotes not only his life but also all his choices to us.

Just as Jesus gave his life for us, when we give all our ego, greed, thoughts, and feelings to Jesus, the door to the Kingdom of God is opened.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.