mark 8:35

"For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it."
-mark 8:35
"Whoever defends himself will have himself for his defense, and he will have no other; but let him come defenseless before the Lord and he will have for his defender no less than God Himself." (Towzer). We can build our quivers, store up treasures for a day of need, but without God what can you really gain? Driving home from Rafting Glacier National Park late at night. We saw a huge fire on the side of the mountain. With a fire truck flying by us we decided to follow it. As we approached the fire, we saw that it was a house, and not the forest fire as we had thought. We lifted our voices to heaven asking for safety for those involved. But as me and Tanner sat watching the flames, i said, "can you imagine not having God and trying to get through this." He said, "no i cant, its everything they ever worked for, gone."
Laying down your life for Christ and the Gospel is the only way to save it. You can lose your house, you can lose your family, you can lose your life. If you don't have God its the end of your book, but with God, its just the transition to a new chapter, because he has something better for you called Heaven and he is constantly preparing our hearts for our real home. "In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." (1Timothy 6:19). I never want to forget those flames i saw, i never want to forget what the gospel did for me, i want to continue to live preparing my heart for heaven. As God prunes the branches that stem from His root, ill always know, its because he is getting me ready for heaven.