Keepin' it Real

Have you ever known someone who prides themselves on keepin' it real? This may mean different things to different people, but to me, someone who is keepin' it real calls it exactly as they see it. No punches pulled - it may not be what you want to hear, but at least you know what they really think and feel.

Jesus was all about keepin' it real. In Matthew 19:16-30, He was talking with someone who is described as a young man. This young man asked Jesus what "good" things he must do to ensure eternal life. Jesus is real in saying, "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter eternal life, keep the commandments."

Boom. Right away, Jesus tell this man exactly what he needs to do - no ifs, ands or buts about it. After asking which commandments, the man says he has kept them all and asks if there is anything else he must do. So, Jesus is blunt: "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." He kept it real.

This was too real for the young man. He went away sad because the Bible says he had great wealth. This young man let his stuff, his possessions, get between him and the Lord of all creation and eternal life. When Christ was real with him, the solution he was seeking hit a little too close to home.

Let me keep it real. Is something holding you back from going all in to follow Jesus? The crazy part is you don’t even have to sell all of your possessions. You don’t have to leave your home. You just have to ask for forgiveness from your sin (keepin' it real - we are all sinners), and take up your cross and follow Him. And while you may not have to give up your worldly possessions, you will have to give up the things of this world steeped in sinful nature. But -real talk- isn’t eternal life worth it?

Written by Bramwell Applin
Community Relations Manager