What Does It Mean to Throw Away Your Life?
By Rick Warren
“Give yourselves to God ... surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes” (Romans 6:13 TEV).
Surrendering to Jesus means laying down every area of your life. God wants you to learn to be a giver in life, not a taker. Jesus said, “If you insist on saving your life, you will lose it. Only those who throw away their lives for my sake and for the sake of the Good News will ever know what it means to really live” (Mark 8:35 TLB).
What does it mean to throw away your life? It means you submit yourself to God for his purposes. Romans 6:13 says, “Give yourselves to God ... surrender your whole being to him to be used for righteous purposes” (TEV). Live a life of purpose. Be driven by purpose. Give yourself to God. Let him use you for his purpose. You’ll get the adventure of a lifetime!
What happens when you do this? What happens when you say, “Okay God, I’m not going to live for me. I’m going to live for you and for other people. I’m going to learn to lay down my life. I’m going to learn to lay down my plans.” Look at what God says: “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (Matthew 6:33 NLT, second edition).
How do you make the Kingdom of God your primary concern? You care about the things God cares about. What does he care about most? People. God doesn’t care about money. God doesn’t care about fame. God doesn’t care about a lot of things we care about. When you surrender your life to God and make the most important things in your life the things that are most important to God, he will take care of all your needs.
Playtoday’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >>
Talk It Over
- Think of someone you know who lives for God’s purpose. How can you tell that person has “thrown away” his or her life?
- Why does surrendering to God lead to freedom and adventure?
- How are you making people a primary concern? What do you need to do to care for people better?
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit rickwarren.org
Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer - 8 CD Boxed Set and Bonus Music CD: FIRST
The Bible says very clearly that you were created for connections. In this new message series, Connecting with God: The Lord's Prayer, Rick Warren lays out practical steps for you to connect with God and loved ones by examining the Lord’s Prayer. Christianity is not just a belief system; it’s a belong system. Learn how to connect and live the joyful life you were meant to live.
Right now, we'll send you the new worship CD called, FIRST which features 6 brand new, original worship songs written and performed by Saddleback Worship. These songs will help to encourage you in any season of your life, as you join the call to keep God First.
Get both of these amazing resources today when you give a gift to financially support Daily Hope!
This devotional © 2016 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
You can also listen to Rick Warren on OnePlace.com.
