Articles
The One Thing that Holds You Back
Reading: Luke 18:18-43
Jesus told a rich ruler that there was “one thing” keeping him from claiming the blessing of eternal life. He needed to let go of earthly treasure, using it for God’s purposes, in order to lay hold of spiritual treasure. His sadness in response shows us how difficult it was for him to submit to God’s will in this matter (v. 23).
If you and Jesus were to have this same conversation, what might he say is the “one thing” making it difficult for you to enter the kingdom of heaven? What’s holding you back from deeper trust in God, greater service to others, or increased involvement in the kingdom? Maybe it’s the cares and riches of the world that you rely on too much. Perhaps it’s the allure of sin, or coming to terms with full obedience to a command from the Lord. It might even be the influence of other people who would hinder you from crying out to your Savior with no reservation or shame (see the blind beggar in vv. 35-43).
Whatever your answer may be, make no mistake: inheriting eternal life costs us something. Jesus gave it all (vv. 31-34) in order to make eternal life accessible to us. But Jesus himself promises that the sacrifices we make to follow Him are always worth the exchange (vv. 28-30). For our part, we need to be honest with ourselves to see what’s holding us back in our devotion to the Lord. We all have at least “one thing” to work on. Let’s actively look for those places and take the next step today to render our hearts, souls, mind, and strength to the Lord, knowing that what seems impossible to us is possible with Him.
