And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Mark 10:21-22 (ESV)

 

To follow Jesus is to allow Him to make us whole in Him.

Sometimes we don’t even realize how damaged and broken we are until we are confronted with a profoundly uncomfortable experience. The story of the rich young ruler meeting Jesus is a good example of this.

When Jesus invited the rich young ruler to “come, follow me.” He was redirecting the focus of his worship from created things to the Creator. Instead of allowing his wealth to define him, Jesus called the rich young ruler to discover his true identity in Him. But his wealth had such a hold on his heart that it stopped the rich young ruler from becoming a disciple. The problem is not having wealth itself; the problem lies in our attitude towards it.

We often base our identity by what we do, where we live, and what we own. This makes us afraid of losing them or letting them go. What we believe gives us an advantage over others may well hide our insecurity and lack of faith in God. When we hold onto our blessings too tightly and too selfishly, they become burdens. Keeping self-made burdens wounds us and the people around us. Wounds left unhealed and festering makes it difficult for us to follow Jesus consistently and with persistence.

While it may feel painful to lose what we cherish, but what if what we cherish is something that keeps us from living in the truth and the fullness of who we are and what we have in Christ. But often we resist what the Lord wants to do in our lives. We rather choose to become attached to what we chased after—than being with the One who pursues us.

Finding our identity in Christ allows us to experience healing, restoration, and personal transformation, within ourselves and with others. His perfect love removes every fear and brings rest to our soul.