Exchanging Our Soul

Mark 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Matthew 16:26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?

These passage iare heavy on my mind and heart tonight. And the question; "is there anything that I am I exchanging my soul for?" To help bring context and understanding to to these - well-known - passages, I considered the following passages as well. 

Job 2:4 "Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life.

Psalm 49:16-17  Do not be overawed when others grow rich, when the splendor of their houses increases; for they will take nothing with them when they die,their splendor will not descend with them.

Philippians 3:7-9 But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. 

Let us not exchange our soul for anything. Let us fix our eyes - our minds - our hearts - our everything on Christ and the eternal home He has for us. 

O Lord, who else or what else can I desire but You

The following is from A Cry for Mercy by Henri J.M. Nouwen. 

O Lord, who else or what else can I desire but you? You are my Lord, Lord of my heart, mind, and soul. You know me through and through. In and through you everything that is finds its origin and goal. You embrace all that exists and care for it with divine love and compassion. Why, then, do I keep expecting happiness and satisfaction outside of you? Why do I keep relating to you as one of my many relationships, instead of my only relationship, in which all other ones are grounded? Why do I keep looking for popularity, respect from others, success, acclaim, and sensual pleasures? Why, Lord, is it so hard for me to make you the only one? Why do I keep hesitating to surrender myself totally to you?

Help me, O Lord, to let my old self die, to let die the thousand big and small ways in which I am still building up my false self and trying to cling to my false desires. Let me be reborn in you and see through you the world in the right way, so that all my actions, words, and thought can become a hymn of praise to you.

I need your loving grace to travel on the hard road that leads to the death of my old self and to a new life in and for you. I know and trust that this is the road to freedom.

Lord, dispel my mistrust and help be become a trusting friend.

At least your soul is covered

Our son, Zion, just turned three. He is at that independent stage where he doesn't want help and gets upset if we notify him that he has made a mistake.

He is consistent in putting his shoes on the wrong feet and for the most part this does not bother him. Bit, as we just finished our summer vacation to the lake, when he puts his flip flops on the wrong feet, it bothers him very much. Likewise it bothers us. He walks slower, he complains more, and he grows tired quicker. Yet, in his pride and independence, he refuses to change his way.

The other day he put his flip flops on the wrong feet yet again and I wanted very badly to point it out to him. But, knowing what his reaction would be I simply said, "at least your sole is covered".

That 's when it struck me, a lot of us are walking around with our flip flops in the wrong feet. And, knowing that we have our soles (souls) covered we keep going. Yet, we journey through life at a slower pace than God desires for us, we complain more about the things we see and experience, and we grow tired quicker and give up on what God desires for us to achieve. And then, when we realize our error, we refuse to change our ways out of pride and independence.

Let me just say, God wants more. God wants us to change our ways, to switch out shoes, and live life the way He has created us to live, doing what He desires of us.