Let Go

Jesus said, "Why do you question me about what's good? God is the One who is good. If you want to enter the life of God, just do what he tells you."
The man asked, "What in particular?"
Jesus said, "Don't murder, don't commit adultery, don't steal, don't lie, honor your father and mother, and love your neighbor as you do yourself."
The young man said, "I've done all that. What's left?"
"If you want to give it all you've got," Jesus replied, "go sell your possessions; give everything to the poor. All your wealth will then be in heaven. Then come follow me."
That was the last thing the young man expected to hear. And so, crest-fallen, he walked away. He was holding on tight to a lot of things, and he couldn't bear to let go.

Matthew 19:17-22

What do we have in our life that we "couldn't bear to let go?" Whatever that is (it does not have to be riches or things) it will keep us from truly walking with God each and everyday. EGO - Edge God Out. We hold onto to so many things, ideas, and others opinions that make it impossible for us to really take hold of God. We all too often want to hold onto what others have to say about us, the things we have, or ideas of what it means to be successful to feel good about ourselves. I think of it like that story of the monkey who put his hand in the jar to grab out some food, but could not get his hand out without letting the food go because his fist was to big to fit back out of the hole. God is all around us everywhere. God is in us and we are created in the Creator's image. However, we try to stick our hand in the jar of ego and get out what will make us feel good, but we must let those things go to truly be connected to God. We get frustrated because like the monkey and the man in the story, we want them both. We want to know God but keep our things and our ideas - our EGO. When we do this we are really edging God out of our lives. We cannot grasp God because our hands are full of other things.

Do not walk away crest-fallen, or deflated spiritually, like this man. Be willing to give up your ego for something far greater. This is what Christ did remember -

Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—and the worst kind of death at that—a crucifixion. Philippians 2:5-8

Are you being asked to die on a cross today - no - but you are being asked to remember that what others think of you is none of your business, that things are not important and do not give joy, and what you think is important is probably not so important in the end. Set aside that part of you that wants to assert its "rights." That part that wants people to see you and take credit. That part that wants to help people because someone will pat you on the back. That part that wants to worry about your stuff and if it gets broken or stolen because it is just that - stuff. do not cling to any "advantages" you think you may have over others. Rather give them up and walk in the way of Jesus giving you life away to others in daily small task that they may never know about.

Namaste'