The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”
Then Peter spoke up, “We have left everything to follow you!”
“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”
Mark 10:24-31
During 2026, Peachtree Church is inviting everyone into Cultivate, a churchwide discipleship plan centered on the fruit of the Spirit and the kind of life God longs to grow in us. Throughout the year, we’ll explore how love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control take shape in everyday life through the Spirit’s work. Cultivate brings together worship, Scripture, group guides, and meaningful practices designed to meet you where you are and support growth in ways that fit your season. These twice-weekly devotionals are one way to stay connected, offering reflection and grounding for daily life with God. Whether you engage in many ways or just one, you’re invited to be part of this shared journey of becoming more rooted in who God has created and called you to be.
Devotional
What is the good life? Most of us would describe it as a secure, healthy, self-directed life surrounded by people we love, with enough money and freedom to enjoy it. That sounds pretty good to me as well. An important part of that vision is the ability to manage our lives in such a way that we avoid discomfort, much less suffering.
But there is a danger in that kind of life. The danger is that our wealth, comfort, and status can slowly become the focus of our existence. When that happens, what we thought was the good life can become hollow and unfulfilling.
Jesus promises a different kind of life—a life focused on his Kingdom rather than ourselves, yet a life filled with true meaning. He is also clear that following him will include hardship, sacrifice, and loss. Peter gives voice to that reality when he says, “We have left everything to follow you!” That is our ongoing dilemma as we seek to follow Jesus in an affluent culture: Are we willing to loosen our grip on our well-managed lives in order to follow him?
Missionary Jim Elliot, who lost his life in Ecuador, once wrote, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” That is essentially what Jesus was inviting the rich young man to discover.
The good life Jesus offers is not found in holding tightly to what makes us comfortable, but in surrendering ourselves to the One who is truly good. When we release what we cannot keep, we discover the life with God that can never be taken away.
For Reflection
- Do you believe that you are living the good life?
- Do you ever feel unfulfilled?
- What might Jesus be inviting you to surrender?
Prayer
Lord, we are blessed with so much. Help us to not place the life that we are living above our calling. Give us the courage to seek your kingdom first, believing that you are good and that your plan for our lives, now and into eternity, is beyond anything we can build on our own. Give us the grace this week to follow wherever you may lead. Amen.
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Devotionals