Devotional Reading: Mark 8: 31-9:1. Morning Psalm 84; Evening Psalm 42

Text: For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? (v. 36)

I once did a sermon series entitled “The Questions of Jesus”. Today’s text was one of the questions. It is a question that I ask myself often.

When I was in elementary school one of my favorite short stories was “The Devil and Daniel Webster.” It us a story about a “hard-luck” man who wants to be successful. One night a “stranger” visits him and offers to make a deal–all of his dreams will come true if he will but sell his eternal soul to the stranger. Not fully understanding what he was doing and wanting worldly success so badly, he signed his name to the proffered document.

Time passes and his success grows beyond his wildest dreams. Then the stranger shows up to collect his soul. This is when our poor man enlists the help of Daniel Webster–a renowned attorney, orator, statesman and Senator of the 19th century in the United States. The stranger and Daniel Webster go toe to toe in legal battle late into the night until finally Daniel Webster wins the man’s release.

People make character compromises every day of their life. If they are not careful the can, inch by inch, they sell themselves to the devil. I believe that Jesus question is one that we need to ask ourselves nearly every day. “What do I gain if I ultimately lose who I am?”

We face many hard decisions and must make some compromises but we must always ask ourselves that one question. I think that we will conclude that some compromises are simply too much.

Lord, keep our Lord’s question upper-most in our hearts, and give us the courage to do the right thing–even if nobody notices but You. Amen.