Faith That Chooses People Over Profit
“For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” - Matthew 16:26
Jesus asked this question in today’s key verse because He knew how easily people confuse success with faithfulness. Gaining the world can look impressive on the outside, but it can quietly hollow us out on the inside. Jesus was not speaking against work, money, or provision. He was warning against allowing greed to replace compassion and allowing profit to become more important than people.
When the cross is misunderstood, faith can turn into a transaction. We start measuring God’s blessing by comfort, security, or financial gain. But the cross of Christ points us in a very different direction. Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, and confronted systems that exploited the vulnerable. He never treated faith as a way to climb higher. He treated it as a way to love deeper.
In everyday life, this question shows up in small choices. Do we look away from suffering because it feels inconvenient? Do we justify ignoring people in need because we are busy protecting what we have? Do we assume that hardship is always someone else’s fault?
The cross reminds us that following Jesus means choosing people even when it costs us something. It means generosity over hoarding and compassion over judgment. Our faith is not proven by what we accumulate but by how we love.
I want to encourage you to pause and ask yourself honestly what you are gaining and what you might be losing in the process. Jesus invites us to a life that is rich in mercy, not just comfort.
Jesus asked this question in today’s key verse because He knew how easily people confuse success with faithfulness. Gaining the world can look impressive on the outside, but it can quietly hollow us out on the inside. Jesus was not speaking against work, money, or provision. He was warning against allowing greed to replace compassion and allowing profit to become more important than people.
When the cross is misunderstood, faith can turn into a transaction. We start measuring God’s blessing by comfort, security, or financial gain. But the cross of Christ points us in a very different direction. Jesus fed the hungry, healed the sick, and confronted systems that exploited the vulnerable. He never treated faith as a way to climb higher. He treated it as a way to love deeper.
In everyday life, this question shows up in small choices. Do we look away from suffering because it feels inconvenient? Do we justify ignoring people in need because we are busy protecting what we have? Do we assume that hardship is always someone else’s fault?
The cross reminds us that following Jesus means choosing people even when it costs us something. It means generosity over hoarding and compassion over judgment. Our faith is not proven by what we accumulate but by how we love.
I want to encourage you to pause and ask yourself honestly what you are gaining and what you might be losing in the process. Jesus invites us to a life that is rich in mercy, not just comfort.
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