We’re reading and studying the Gospel of Mark in my Small Group, and tonight we’ll be discussing Mark 8.
Mark 8 is a pivotal point in the Gospel because the focus shifts from what Jesus does, to who Jesus is and what He has come to do.
And, importantly for our daily lives, what it means for us to be His disciples.
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” ~Mark 8:34
I’ve been thinking about what Jesus said about following Him: self-denial.
And I’m realizing that self-denial isn’t always about giving up things.
Sometimes, it means giving up the need for everyone to approve of us.
The need to be liked.
The need to be understood.
The need to explain ourselves.
The need to make everyone happy.
The need to be right.
The need to have everyone see things the way we do.
Sometimes following Jesus means being willing to stand in a place where someone might misunderstand us, disagree with us or simply not like us, and, yet, we still choose to be faithful.
That’s hard.
Because, if I’m honest, I like approval. Most of us do.
Approval is soothing. It makes us feel comforted. Uplifted. Liked. Seen. Part of the team.
We seek approval. We crave it.
Buuuut…
Jesus asks us a jarring question:
What if gaining the approval of the world costs us something far more valuable?
Gulp.
What does it mean to be set apart?
Maybe self-denial sometimes looks like this:
I don’t have to be understood by everyone.
I don’t have to be liked by everyone.
I don’t have to win every argument.
I don’t have to make everyone happy.
I just need to follow Jesus.
And honestly? There’s a whole lot of freedom in that.
“You do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world.” ~John 15:19