Bible Study with Danelle

All things are possible with God.

Do you always believe that?

The man in the story we read today was not willing to find out. He was a man of great possessions and wealth per Mark’s account. He had followed all the other commandments. Just as he was taught to do. But the one thing that he was not willing to do was trust Jesus, give it all up, and follow Him. He did not trust that it was possible to live without all that money and possessions and just trust that things would be provided when needed as long as he followed Jesus.

This message is so powerful to me, but at the same time, it is the hardest for me to follow.

All my early childhood, I grew up with not a lot of money. We weren’t destitute, but it was a struggle. My mom was a stay-at-home mom and my dad’s industry had a habit of laying off workers every few years. Unfortunately, my dad was sometimes that worker. My mom would pick up odd jobs here and there when he was out of work, but not until I was in high school did mom start working full-time. I knew that my mother had grown up with practically nothing. Her father had a sudden heart attack at 35 and passed away leaving my grandmother to take care of three girls (13, 11, and 3) all alone and with no job. My grandmother never remarried and struggled until the day she passed. I saw the struggles of my grandmother and my mom and I was determined that I was not going to let myself be in the same position.

I grew up with the thought that I was going to make sure I went to college and made as much money as I could. I wanted to break glass ceilings, have the biggest house, and be able to afford anything I wanted. I wanted to make sure that no matter what, I could take care of myself. I didn’t want to rely on anyone else.

That led me down a path of pursuing a career that I am not sure was what I was really meant for. What my true purpose really is. I gravitated to the jobs that I thought would make the most money, not necessarily what would make me happy or fulfill my true Godly purpose. I had thoughts of being a lawyer or a manager, but after my first college accounting class, I changed my major to accounting. I didn’t even really know what all accountants did or what that career would look like. What I did know…apparently they make a lot of money.

Financial security is always at the top of most people’s minds. I know I am not alone.

I have to ask myself…if Jesus came to me today and told me to give up everything and follow Him, would I be willing to do it? If I was in the shoes of the man that day, what would my answer have been?

I did, for a short time, answer a call from God to leave behind my corporate career and I worked for a church as the business manager. I know that God put me there at just the right time. As you can imagine, the pay cut was significant, but by God’s miracle, we survived. We always had food in the kitchen and a roof over our heads. While it ended, exactly when God needed it to, I could not bring myself to chase the corporate “dream” again.

A little over a year ago, we felt this pull to downsize and give more to God financially than we ever have in our lifetime. I can tell you, that has not been easy and I have struggled with it since we moved. I am not struggling with the giving part. That has come easy, but giving up the home that I loved (more than I care to admit sometimes) has been the hardest part for me the past year. Now that we have added two more dogs to our family, the urge to go house hunting has hit me and I am trying hard not to let the guilt or longing over our previous home come back.

But, as I sit and type now, I realize that God is asking us to reprioritize our life. To stop wanting and chasing what others want. To prioritize our whole life to revolve more around Him. That means giving up and letting go of something I have put too much value on.

There is still a question that lingers in my mind as I read this story again…While I have set aside the corporate career and the “dream house”…would I still be willing to give up everything else to follow Jesus? I am not sure I know the answer to that just yet.

I think we can all take lessons from this story. The biggest takeaway is that NOTHING is impossible with God. He will make the way. He will provide.

I pray today that this story touches you. Ask yourself, what if you were the man in the story. What would your answer have been?