Loss

What causes you to stumble?

‘If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were hung around your neck and you were thrown into the sea. If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life maimed than to have two hands and to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off; it is better for you to enter life lame than to have two feet and to be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out; it is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into hell, where their worm never dies, and the fire is never quenched. ‘For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good; but if salt has lost its saltiness, how can you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.’ - Mark 9:42-50

It is hard to give up something you are attached to, even if it is causing you harm.

There may be a sense of failure or loss that keeps us from cutting ties.  Who wants to be a failure?

Jesus is a bit harsh here, telling us to cut off an offending limb or pluck out an eye, but that is what it may feel like to remove ourselves from an abusive relationship, whether that be with another person, or an addiction.

Now he is talking about the impact on our afterlife, our judgment beyond this life, but this life can be hell as well.  Is it better to live with the abuse than to enter into a better life without it?

We may fear the change, and that keeps us trapped.

But if we can manage the courage to accept and grieve the loss, what lies on the other side may be so much better.

It is ultimately up to us.  No one can fix it for us.  We have to want to take the chance to be saved from the life we chose, whether we chose it consciously or not.

This is tough stuff, Jesus.  We need help to do this.

He can help.  That's why he came.

More to come...