“Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep life for eternal life.”
John 12:16 (ETV)
The encounter between Jesus and the rich young ruler in Mark 10 is striking. The young man approached Jesus, calling Him “Good Teacher,” and asked what he must do to inherit eternal life. Scripture says, “Jesus looked at him and loved him” (Mark 10:21a, NIV). Out of love, Jesus gave him the answer: “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” (Mark 10:21b). Yet the man walked away sorrowful because he was unwilling to let go of his great wealth.
As a teenager who didn’t understand salvation through Jesus, I used to think, I don’t want to die and go to heaven before I’ve done all the things.” My “things” included going to college, building a successful career, getting married, and having children.
However, after becoming a Christian in my late twenties, my perspective began to shift. I realized—even if not fully at first—the incredible gift and magnitude of eternal life with Jesus. I also came to understand that everything we achieve here on earth cannot go with us when we die. James 4:14 reminds us: “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” Paul echoes this in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18: “Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”
Does this mean I want to die today to be with the Lord? No. But it does mean I want to keep an eternal perspective and hold loosely to the things of this world. I want to use the blessings God has entrusted to me, walk in the spiritual gifts He’s given me, and glorify Him in all that I do. There is nothing wrong with wealth, success, careers, retirement, or family—these are all blessings when kept in proper perspective. Yet Jesus warns us not to cling to them above Him: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” (Matthew 16:26).
God created us to glorify Him and gave us a beautiful world to enjoy. Yet because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the garden, humanity has lived under the pull of corruption and the desire to cling to this life. Still, Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has “set eternity in the human heart.” That longing points us beyond this broken world. And having experienced the overwhelming, unconditional love of Jesus here, I cannot imagine an eternity apart from Him.
The rich young ruler was on the verge of surrendering, yet the things of this world held him back. He left sad, but Jesus’ heart broke because He knew what the man’s eternal loss would be.
I pray we do not make the same mistake. May we let go of whatever hinders us—not only from eternal life with Jesus but also from the abundant life He offers us here and now. Let us make room for what Christ longs to give us, and hold the things of this world with open arms.