Say No, Let Go, Go Slow

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”

- Matthew 16:24-26

This past Thursday, Josh Hotsenpiller spoke to our men from Matthew 16:24-26. He explained that taking up our cross and following Jesus means saying “no” to worldly things we want in order to say “yes” to Jesus. He went on to explain that losing our life for Jesus is “letting go” of control and trusting Him. Finally, “going slow” is to slow down and put things in proper perspective, making sure our priorities align with the priorities of God.

When he finished, he asked the men to share amongst each other at their table which of the three needed the most work in their life. I was not at a table, so as Josh walked back toward me, I grabbed him and Sal Cartusciello and said, “Okay, which of the three do you need to work on most?” For the sake of confidentiality, I will not share their answers, but I will share mine.

It would be easy to say, “All three,” and it would be accurate, as I never claim to have any of those nailed, but I also knew I needed to be honest with myself and choose one that needed the most work.

My answer: Something I need to continually remind myself of is to “Let Go and Let God.” Through my battle with cancer, a hypothyroid condition, and elevated PSA levels, I have been forced to learn that I am not in control. I have learned, but must continually grow, to accept and embrace that God is in control, so whether reports come back positive or negative, I can smile and say, “God, You have got this! I relinquish control to You.” When I do that, I am filled with His peace and a positive attitude, which I also believe to be critically important in my journey.

What about you? Which of the three needs the most work in your life? Do you need to say no to things you like, even if they are good, in order to say yes to the better things of God? Do you need to relinquish control to God in all things, letting go and letting God? Or do you need to slow down the pace of your life to be sure your priorities align with the things of God rather than the things of this world?

May we be a people who say no, let go and go slow!

Pastor Ken

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