“Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways. For if you choose self-sacrifice and lose your lives for my glory, you will continually discover true life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will forfeit what you try to keep. For even if you were to gain all the wealth and power of this world—at the cost of your own life—what good would that be? And what could be more valuable to you than your own soul?’” —Matthew 16:24–26 (TPT)

Jesus never sugarcoated the cost of discipleship. In a world obsessed with self-preservation, comfort, and achievement, His words in Matthew 16 strike a radical chord: “Completely reject and disown your own life.” That’s not passive language—it’s a call to die to the life we’ve built on our terms, and to embrace one entirely surrendered to His.

To follow Jesus isn’t just to believe in Him from a distance—it is to walk closely behind, carrying His cross, and allowing it to become our own. It means embracing the pain of obedience, the weight of humility, and the cost of putting His will above ours.

This surrender isn’t a one-time decision; it’s a daily rhythm. Every day, we’re faced with choices: self or Savior, comfort or calling, the world’s rewards or eternal life.

Jesus lays out a paradox: if you fight to keep control of your life, you lose it. But if you lay it down for His sake, you find true life—full, abundant, and eternal. The world may offer success, status, and possessions, but none of it can buy back a soul. None of it can satisfy like He does.

Are there areas in your life where you are clinging to control instead of surrendering to Jesus?

What cross are you being asked to carry today, and are you willing to take it up?

How might your life look different if you truly believed that losing your life for Christ’s sake would lead to something better?

There is no greater treasure than your soul, and no greater joy than finding your life by losing it in Jesus. What are you holding onto that He’s asking you to lay down? Let it go—and follow.

Prayer:

Jesus, You didn’t call me to a life of ease, but a life of surrender. Help me to trust that Your way is better—even when it feels hard or costly. Teach me to disown the life I’ve built apart from You, and to embrace the cross You’ve called me to carry. May I find my true life in You, and value my soul above anything this world could offer. I choose You today—again and always. Amen.