My Identity in ChristÀpẹrẹ

Losing yourself

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it (Mark 8:35).

In the Garden of Eden man chose his own way and placed himself in the centre instead of putting God first. The consequences of that choice turned out to be disastrous: death, decay and misery entered the world.

Jesus told His disciples: “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself , and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it”. Only this way will restoration take place. That is paradoxical: whoever wants to preserve himself, will lose himself, but whoever gives up himself because of Jesus, will receive eternal life.

The benchmark of our existence should be Jesus, and not our own lives. That is the starting point of the renewal of our relationships through the Holy Spirit: the relationship with God, with our fellowmen and with creation. This renewal already starts in this broken world. Whatever happens in our lives contributes to our being changed increasingly into the likeness of Jesus (Rom. 8:28-29). Just as God formed the first man from the dust of the earth, He forms the image of His beloved Son in each human being who is following Jesus.