What’s holding you back from fully committing your life to Christ?

Maybe there’s nothing. As far as you know, you’ve fully given yourself to Him. You’ve held nothing back. There’s nothing you wouldn’t be willing to do for Him.

On the other hand, maybe there is something. Something you’re just not ready to let go of.

You may not be willing to stop sleeping with your boyfriend or girlfriend. What’s the harm, right? You love each other, so it can’t really be that bad.

Or is it your career plan? You’ve always planned to go to medical school. Your parents have planned on it too. You’d always wanted to be a doctor. Until a couple months ago when you began to sense that God might want you to be a teacher. You’re just not ready to change your plans.

There once was a man who came to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?”

Wouldn’t we expect Jesus to say something like, “Well, you don’t have to “do” anything. Eternal life comes through faith in me. It’s not something you work for. Just believe in me and you will receive eternal life.”

That’s not what Jesus says though. He tells the man, “If you want to enter life, obey the commandments.”

Huh? What happened to “just believe?” What about “receiving Jesus” into your life?

The exchange doesn’t stop there though. The man asks Jesus, “Which ones?”

So Jesus lists some commands. The man says he has obeyed them and then asks Jesus the big question, “What do I still lack?”

That’s when Jesus tells the man to sell his possessions and give to the poor so he’ll have treasure in heaven. “Then come, follow me,” Jesus concludes.

Is selling all of our possessions a requirement before we can follow Jesus. No, Jesus didn’t tell everyone He met to do this. This man though needed to sell his possessions because they were standing in the way of him following Jesus. No doubt his trust was in his money. Money was his god.

Earlier in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus taught that we cannot serve both God and money. We have to choose one or the other. This rich man had chosen money. Jesus was telling him to turn away from the false god of money and follow Him, the one true God. But the man was unwilling. He wouldn’t forsake his god.

How about you? What false god would Jesus tell you to turn from? What is that’s holding you back from fully committing your life to Him?

Whatever it is, it’s not worth holding onto. Let’s not make the mistake the rich young man did. He heard the words Jesus spoke, but went away sad because of his great wealth. He lost out on eternal life to hold onto this earthly one.

It’s a lie to believe that a created thing (money, sex, possessions, food, cars, relationships, etc.) can give us true life and happiness.

Today is the day to let it go.