“Whoever would save his life will lose it.” Mark 8:35
How can a person lose his or her soul? There are three ways.
You can starve your soul
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).
Bread sustains your body. God’s Word sustains your soul. But many people have no taste for the Word of God—no hunger for the things of God. They aren’t interested in these things. But what about you? What about your soul? Do you tend to it by feeding on the Word?
You can strangle your soul
“The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful” (Mark 4:19).
Jesus is talking about what happens in the lives of people who hear the Word, but their careers, their families, and other cares of life take priority. These things are like a vine wrapping itself around them, strangling the life out of their soul.
You can surrender your soul
Beloved, I urge you…to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul (1 Pet. 2:11).
When you are tempted and give in to some passion, here’s what is happening: You are surrendering your soul. You are saying to the devil, “You win. I concede. I’m yours now.” And the devil takes you captive. But your soul is of great value. It lasts forever. If you surrender your soul to sin it will be your everlasting loss, and you will have no one to blame but yourself.
How have you been tempted to starve, strangle, or surrender your soul? Which is the hardest for you to combat?
