Jesus told his disciples about his upcoming death and Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. Jesus, in turned, reprimanded Peter for seeing things merely from a human point of view and not from God’s. He then called his disciples and the crowd together and explained the cost of following him, as well as the ultimate reward for it. They were seeking an earthly kingdom with Jesus as their king and ruler. He was trying to show them that his kingdom was not of this world and that they should not seek worldly gain at the cost of their souls.
I should be willing to lose my life for the sake of the Good News, not because my life is useless, but because nothing, not even life itself, can compare to what I gain with Christ. Jesus wants me to choose to follow him rather than to lead a life of sin and self-satisfaction. He wants me to stop trying to control my own destiny and let him direct me. As the Creator, God knows much better than I do what real life is all about. He asks me only to lose my self-centered determination to be in charge.
Desire to do his will and seek his direction. His ways are higher than your ways and his thoughts are higher than your thoughts. Don’t seek after worldly gain at the cost of your own soul. Nothing is worth more than your soul!
Mark 8:36 (NLT) - “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”