"On hearing this, Jesus told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell everything you own and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.” But when the ruler heard this, he became very sad, because he was extremely wealthy." Luke 18:22,23
On Saturday, May 6, 2017, CNN reported that Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge "came tantalizingly close to breaking one of the most coveted frontiers left in athletics, running a full marathon in two hours and 25 seconds." This was the closest anyone has ever come to running the "coveted" sub-two-hour marathon and came only after years of research, design and planning by the Nike Breaking2 project (launched in 2014) and months of training and hard work by the athletes involved. So even though Kipchoge was closer to triumph than any of us will ever be, missing the mark by less than one second per mile, being close doesn't count as it will not be recorded as a success.
And the same can be said of our efforts to enter Heaven. The Bible illustrates this with the story of a rich young man who asked Jesus what it would take to enter into eternal life. When Jesus answered the man that he would have to keep the commandments not to commit adultery, steal, murder or bear false witness and to honor his father and mother, the man joyously replied that he had done all that since his youth. But Jesus, knowing the man's heart, said, "You still lack one thing.." and told him to sell all he had and give it to the poor. The man's joy quickly turned to sorrow as this was the one thing he would not do "because he was extremely wealthy." He was so close wasn't he? After all, he had done everything else expected of him right? But as the story shows, close doesn't count.
Perhaps you're like this young man today? Close to surrendering your life and following Jesus but withholding something that means more? That one thing Jesus is calling you to give up? Perhaps it's money, status, habits or pride? Whatever it is, is it worth missing out on eternal life? You see, aspiring to get to Heaven will only get us close if we "still lack one thing."
Heavenly Father, thank you for your Word that tells us without a doubt that only those willing to give up everything for you will receive eternal life. Help us to identify those things that we might be holding on to that we view as more important and ask you to give us the strength to let them go that we might one day join you in Heaven. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
I surrender all - Casting Crowns
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