The Value of Your Soul || Mark 8:36 || Manna for the Mind #71

Welcome to Day 71 of the “Manna for the Mind” devotional series! This series is about taking scripture passages (typically 1-3 verses) and building our understanding of their teachings through their context and connecting scripture. I believe that doing this helps us understand how to be the type of human that God created us to be.

Today’s passage is Mark 8:36-37. We’ll be talking about our soul and whether it’s worth losing. Our focus for today will be verse 36, though.

Mark 8:36-37

36           And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?

37           Is anything worth more than your soul?

What is your soul? That feels like an excellent start to the conversation. The soul is the Greek noun psuché (psoo-kay), which means the breath or the soul. It describes the breath of life, the human soul, the center of affection and will, the self, and an individual. It covers a wide range of concepts, but it centers on who you are. This Greek word is the root of the words “psyche” and “psychology.” It describes one’s distinct identity. The soul results from God breathing His gift of life into someone.

What Jesus asks here is whether it is worth it to lose who you are to gain the identity of the world. We spend a lot of time seeking pleasure. It could be through purchasing expensive clothes, cars, or houses to make a statement to provide value to our social media profile. It could be through gambling, porn, or alcoholism is ordered to try and solve our problems rather than dealing with them. We spend so much time working on how we look toward others that we forget about how we need to look toward God and for God.

Jesus said that worldliness – centered around possessions, position, or power – is ultimately worthless. Sure, we might remember people for some of what they have or their jobs, but we often remember their impact on people. We remember people who were there for us and remember those who hurt us. We remember those who lent us their ear to hear us vent or solve problems and those who ignored us while in need. We remember those who loaned us their resources and extorted us for their own gain.

What we have on this earth is temporary and is not worth your soul. It’s not worth trading your identity for anything. If you work hard to get what you want out of this life, it may feel like life is great, but you might recognize that life feels hollow and empty. You will continue to work to get to the position you want and believe God’s called you towards. However, you will find that work to become just that, work. There may not be any value to that work. You may feel like a cog in the machine, trying to make it through life. The ultimate goal is to follow Jesus. Know him, and you’ll know what it means to live abundantly now and ultimately have eternal life. The ultimate question is: what is your soul worth?

Father God, thank you for the gift of life. Thank you for the fresh start that our lives are all about once we get into a relationship with you. Please help us to recognize the value of our souls. We don’t want to sacrifice our souls for the world’s sake but for your kingdom’s sake. It’s in your name, we pray. Amen