End of One Life – Beginning of Another

“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Those who love their life will lose it, while those who hate their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My father will honor the one who serves me.”

~John 12:24-26 (TNIV).

Probably the biggest and best blessing accorded to knowledge upon how we’re to live this life is contained in Jesus’ truth above.

This life is an upside-down life.

Love life in this world and we inevitably stand to lose it, both here and in eternity—both of which share facets of ‘eternal life’. To hate our lives here is truly only represented in going ‘all the way’ with truth—which will require us to upset our worlds. It’s sad as much as it’s true.

We’ll have fewer friends with worldly people, and usually less influence in the secular world, as Christians.

Richest Gain Counted as Loss

Life for some reason only begins to truly work when we’ve tucked away the gains of life very securely under some broad leaf in the gardens of our egos. If we become what our achievements are, then who are we beyond achievement?

Equally when we get to the place of Christian maturity, we’ll no longer be satisfied with just being who we are; we’ll want to do—to contribute to the work of God’s kingdom, and this, forever despite ourselves.

Our gains here are not ours; they’re truly God’s, as are the activities we’re engaged in, for goodness, fruit-bearing and peace.

We can only gain our lives by losing them... to a cause and to a name—that name of our Saviour and for the Spirit.

For everything we do, otherwise, is a waste and it falls away as a single unopened kernel useless to everything, and forever undermined so far as its potential was concerned. After all, it didn’t seed. It didn’t fulfil its purpose.

Instant Obedience

This is the task before us and the sign of the real servant—the one bearing their cross at the moment’s awakening.

Whatever we do in this time and to these ends is blessed by the Father, because whatever we truthfully do in Jesus’ name generally always has—as its consequence—righteous, fair and just outcomes, at least as far as our relationships are concerned.

© 2010 S. J. Wickham.