Are you willing? or are you ready?

I have been studying Mark 10:17-22 for thepast week and a half. I have been wrestling through this passage and convicting me on truly where my heart is. It has brought new light to my world, and how I view my possessions. Most of people have read the story of the rich young ruler, if you haven't or want a refresher you can read it here .

I have heard this passage preached on many times, but I have been listening to David Platt preach on it and it has been a bit different message. Many times when we read about the rich young ruler we try to water down what Jesus is saying here. This is the message I have usually heard when hearing a sermon on this passage. Would Jesus really call you to sell all your possessions and giv

e it to the poor? We tend to answer this question with, "well, what Jesus was saying here is just that we ought to be willing to sell our possessions and give to the poor." Is that really what Jesus was saying here? Or do we try to minimize this passage in order to fit with the comfort of the Christianity we've created?

What I have been wrestling with this past few weeks is God asking me, "are you willing to sell it all? or are you ready to?" It is so v

ery easy for me to answer the first question with a "yes God, I'm willing!" but the next question is where I stop. Am I ready? Am I ready to go to God with it ALL? Am I ready to lay it ALL on the table for Him to use for His glory? Am I ready to ask God what He would have me sacrifice? I get a knot in my stomach. It makes me uncomfortable to think about, and even more uncomfortable to do.

I do not think that Jesus calls every Christian to sell all that they have and give it to the poor, BUT I do think that He does call some of us. It has been so difficult for me to wrestle with; am I willing and am I ready? It is extremely easy for us to say that we are willing to do this, but then we hoard our possession

s, and hold onto them with a closed hand. I think that if I truly went to God with open hands, with all my stuff, all my money, all my time, and ask Him what He wanted to give up for His glory, my material possessions would look a lot different. My life would look a lot different. I think this sadly might be true for a lot of us Christians.

I have told God he could have it all many times, but slowly I remove the "all" off the table, until "all" that is left, is what I am comfortable giving up, my leftovers. If what you are giving doesn't cause an actual sacrifice, it

is not sacrifice, merely leftovers. I do believe that Jesus' command to the rich young ruler in Mark 10 is a command He gives to some Christians today.

I am so tied to my possessions and money, that I find it uneasy and scary to actually think of give up all my things. I find so much comfort and security in what I "have".

Jesus knows this. Jesus does not call me to give up my possessions so that I would miss out, or not have joy. He calls us to give up our possessions so that, we can experience more joy than any other thing could p

ossibly provide. Love of stuff will inevitably rob us of the joy that God created us to experience.

What is God calling you to get rid of in order to experience His joy? everything? the items you cling to most? We can only serve one master, God or money? (Matt 6:24) Where we spend our money is a strong indicator of where our hearts are. (Matt 6:21)

I have been challenged through this passage in a very scary way, to go to God, with open hands, with it all on the table, and ask Him, what do you want me to give up, for Your glory? Do you need to do the same?