“If you want to be perfect,” Jesus said to him, “go, sell all your belongings and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me.”
When the young man heard that command, he went away grieving, because he had many possessions.
Matthew 19:21-22 HCSB

In our Scripture passage for today, Jesus responds to a rich young ruler who has approached Him and asked what he must do to attain eternal life.

The rich young ruler who came to speak with Jesus had it all. He was young. He was rich, and he held a position of authority.  Warren Wiersbe points out that he may have been the ruler of a synagogue. It is commendable that he earnestly sought Jesus and wanted to learn what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus knows our hearts, and He knew that this young man valued his material possessions.

While fear is a powerful motivator, and I’ll admit that I try to do what is right because I fear going to hell and don’t want to do that, love is what really motivates me and all Christians. It’s our love for Christ in our hearts. Without that love, we are simply faking Christianity. We have to love the Lord more than anyone or anything else in our lives. He has to be first.

This young man had it all. He knew, however, that something was lacking. Sadly, what was lacking, he was unwilling to accept. He couldn’t give up the material goods and his position in the community to follow Jesus. These things meant more to him.

We see a lot of this in the world today. Many people are in positions of authority or are celebrities who seem to have it all. If you pay attention to the things they do and say, however, you see they don’t have Jesus in their lives. Without Jesus, we have nothing.

As we approach this new year, it may be a good time to reflect on what we would do in this young man’s position. If you had it all, wealth and high standing in your community, would you give it all up to follow Jesus?

Now, please don’t think I’m telling you to sell all your possessions. Jesus simply told this young man to do this to point out where his priorities were. Jesus demands to be first in our lives. He commands us to love Him with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind (Matthew 22:37). He tells us that if we first seek His kingdom, all these things will be provided for us (Matthew 6:33). If we put Jesus first in our lives, He will see to it that our needs are met. Jesus knows our hearts, and He knows when we put things before Him.

Many people attend church and obey the commands, just as this young man did. But just like this young man, they don’t put Jesus first in their lives. Do you?

This new year is a great time to assess our priorities. Does Jesus fall somewhere behind your job, your hobbies, and your family life? If so, I can promise you that you are missing out. Put Jesus first, and all these other things will work out. He will see to it. Trust in Him today. Love Him with all your heart. Serve Him and others. You will be so glad you did.

If you have everything but Jesus, you can fix that today. Simply accept Him as your Savior and put Him first.

Have a great day!