Although life has much to do with acquiring; it has just as much to do with relinquishing. We acquire life and a family. As we grow and mature we acquire knowledge, understanding, other relationships and of course material possessions. But there also comes the time for relinquishing all these things as well as life itself. As I have watched people face death, you see how gradually everything is let go; even the last breath. But we usually do this unwillingly.
But the call of Jesus Christ is also a call asking us to relinquish. Before death forces us to relinquish our all unwillingly; Christ asks us to relinquish all to Him willingly. And if we do; death’s relinquishing power is gone, for we have already given our life away and paradoxally at deaths call receive eternal life. Here death has no power.
But make no mistake; the call of Christ to relinquish our all to Him is just as costly. Before any resurrection there has to be death. Christ calls us to accept our death to all our acquisitions so that He alone becomes all we have! Death to all our knowledge, understanding, hopes, dreams, relationships, possessions - we relinquish it all to receive Him!
As the Apostle Paul attests, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” Galatians 2:20 (NIV) Christ living in me is the resurrected life. It begins in this life and carries us over into the life to come. “Christ lives in me” when we have come to that place that we relinquish all we have and all we are! We must let go of it all in order to gain all the more (that is Christ)! Amen.
