Jesus instructed those following him on the way of the cross. To follow Jesus means denial and sacrifice. But the return? Immense value. As Jesus said, what good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?

My soul forms the most important part about me, one individual soul worth more than the wealth of the entire world. It can apparently be lost—a tremendous tragedy. Yet I consider this hardly at all.

I don’t talk about the soul much. I overlook my soul as I push through life. Never do I list my soul among my assets.

Yet I live among a community of souls. Occasionally someone announces a tragedy where a ship sinks or plane goes down, and they refer to the loss of hundreds of souls. But in the day-to-day we ignore the soul. Jesus snaps us back.

Rather than ignore my soul, I need to feed it. Slow down, give thought to the ways of the Lord. Invest time in the Scriptures, ask the Holy Spirit to guide my day, and join a community of other souls moving to the same rhythm.

Let the world go. Keep your soul, the most valuable part of you and those around you. I don’t think you or I will be disappointed.

Mark 8 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Jessica Delp