One Missing Piece

“Follow Me.” Jesus saw two men fishing and invited them to follow Him, and He would make them “fishers of men.” At once, Peter and his brother, Andrew, left their nets, the first disciples to leave everything behind to heed Jesus’ call (Matt 4:18–20). God wants to save all people. Some are willing; some are hesitant, and others turn away.

“What can I do to have eternal life?” the young man asked Jesus in three of the Gospel’s accounts (Mark 10:17–22; Matt 19:16–22; Luke 18:18–23). He was a person of authority and a good man who had kept God’s commands since he was a youth. Yet, Matthew’s account says he asked what “one thing” he lacked. Jesus, knowing his heart, told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor. Then his treasure would be in heaven, and he could take up the cross and follow Him. The sorrow-filled ruler walked away from Jesus because of his great riches, his life’s priority.

There was nothing the rich, young man could do (nor can we) to earn eternal life. It’s God’s gift to us; He saves us by His grace and our faith in Jesus, not by our works, no matter how good they may be (Eph 2:8–9). No one is good enough to enter heaven without surrendering to Jesus.

“Come, take up the cross and follow Me” (Mark 10:21b). Yielding to and walking with our Savior is costly; it requires self-denial and cross-bearing. Jesus said if we didn’t love Him above our family, ourselves, or anything this world offers, we could not be His disciple. He forewarned His followers that the world would hate them for following Him (1 John 3:13); it hated and persecuted Him first (John 15:18, 20). Cross-bearing includes trusting God with divine appointments and difficulties that may come your way. Some people don’t understand or accept the cost of following Jesus, but God’s Word hasn’t and will never change.

If you said yes to Jesus’ call to follow Him, is He first in your life? Have you given Him full access to your heart, or is there a place— “one thing”—you lack in surrendering to His authority? That missing bit, the part you’re hiding or holding back, will hinder you from having a rewarding and meaningful life in Christ. Give every piece of yourself to Jesus.