Should I Hang-On or Let-Go?
Matthew 16:24-26
Men who trap animals in Africa for zoos in America say that one of the hardest animals to catch is the ring-tailed monkey. For the Zulus of that continent, however, it’s simple. They’ve been catching this agile little animal with ease for years. The method Zulus use is based on knowledge of the animal. Their trap is nothing more than a melon growing on a vine. The seeds of this melon are a favorite of the monkey. Knowing this, the Zulus simply cut a hole in the melon, just large enough for the monkey to insert his hand to reach the seeds inside. The monkey will stick his hand in, grab as many seeds as he can, then start to withdraw it. This he cannot do. His fist is now larger than the hole. The monkey will pull and pull BUT as hard as he tries… he cannot free himself if he holds on to the seeds!
And there is the story of the PIRATE who obtained a great chest full of treasure. The pirate held on tightly to that chest because he saw in that chest the fulfillment of his dreams, hopes and aspirations.
He knew that the treasure was the key to his “good life”. Having already obtained a great fortune, the pirate decided to return home and after boarding the ship and having traveled a great distance from shore… a storm arose.
It did not take long for the storm to overtake the ship and eventually break the ship into pieces. Eventually, the pirate and his treasure plunged into the sea.
He began to sink holding tightly to his treasure. As he was sinking, all that went through his mind was how he could get his treasure safely to shore.
However, he began to realize that if he continued to hold onto that chest, he would not be able to make it to shore, and that same chest which he saw as his life... was now causing him to face death.
Reluctantly the pirate let go of that chest and began to swim towards shore.
We are a lot like that pirate. We hold on to our agenda and ego thinking that they are bringing us life, however, that is not the reality. They are really pulling us towards our death and at some point, we must let go.
Sometimes we think we know what is best for our lives. Sometimes we think that we do not need someone else to control us because we are capable of making those good decisions on our own. However, I do not think we always know what is best. I believe our idea of good has been tainted by sin.
Jeremiah says, “The heart is exceeding deceitful above all things.” I believe it is that deception that allows us to think we on our own can know what is best for our lives.
We need to learn plainly that the power of a good and godly life is not in us alone, but it comes from Christ. We need to trust that Jesus knows what is best for us
even better than we do.
Letting go can be a very difficult thing. When we let go we become vulnerable. Many people refuse to let go of things in their life because they are afraid of doing so.
Whether it be a sin, some negative trait, bitterness, pride or worry we are often reluctant to simply let go. We have those things we are clinging to and refuse to let go of, however before we can get to Jesus we must let go.
What is it today that is holding you back from letting go?
Is it fear of the unknown?
Is it a fear of what others may think of you?
Perhaps some never change because they don’t want others to think less of them. Is it unwillingness to change?
Is it your pride?
Jesus’ words in Matthew 16:24–26 are among the most challenging—and liberating—in all of Scripture.
They confront our instincts for comfort, control, and self-preservation, and they invite us into a life that is deeper, truer, and more eternal than anything we could build on our own.
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?”
Jesus begins with a word that cuts against the grain of our culture: deny yourself.
This does not mean:
• Hating yourself
• Ignoring your needs
• Becoming passive or joyless
It means:
• Laying down the illusion that we are the center
• Surrendering our will to God’s will
• Letting Christ—not our desires—set the direction of our lives
Self-denial is not self-destruction; it is self-surrender.
It is saying, “Lord, You lead.
I trust You more than I trust myself.”
To Jesus’ first listeners, the cross was not a metaphor.
It was an instrument of death. So when Jesus said, “Take up your cross,” He meant:
• Be willing to die to the old life
• Let go of sin that clings
• Accept that following Him will cost something
• Embrace obedience even when it is uncomfortable
The cross is not a minor inconvenience. It is the place where our old self is crucified so a new life can rise.
Jesus does not say, “Go figure it out.” He says, “Follow Me.”
This means:
• Walking where He walks
• Loving as He loves
• Serving as He serves
• Trusting as He trusts
• Obeying even when we don’t understand
Christianity is not merely believing in Jesus; it is becoming like Jesus.
Jesus reveals a spiritual truth that seems upside-down:
• If you cling to your life—your plans, your comfort,
your control—you lose it.
• If you surrender your life to Christ,
you find the life you were created for.
The world says:
“Protect yourself. Promote yourself. Preserve yourself.”
Jesus says:
“Give yourself away, and you will discover who you truly are.”
The life Jesus offers is not smaller—it is fuller, freer, and eternal.
Jesus asks a question that echoes through every generation:
“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world BUT forfeits his soul?”
You MAY can gain:
• Wealth
• Success
• Influence
• Comfort
• Applause
But if your soul is empty, lost, or disconnected from God, you have gained nothing that lasts.
The world can fill your hands, but only Christ can fill your soul.
Jesus is not trying to take life from us—He is trying to give us real life.
Following Him means:
• Purpose instead of aimlessness
• Peace instead of anxiety
• Identity instead of insecurity
• Hope instead of despair
• Eternal life instead of temporary satisfaction
The cross leads to resurrection. Surrender leads to freedom. Losing your life leads to finding it.
Jesus taught that we cannot serve two masters.
A ship cannot fly two countries’ flags.
When we deny ourselves and take up our cross, we are allowing Jesus to take over as Lord of our lives.
When Jesus is Lord it means He sets the rules. It means that we are willing to submit ourselves under His authority.
Jesus taught in Matthew 7 , “Many will say to me on that day Lord, Lord, but not enter the kingdom of Heaven.”
When Jesus becomes Lord, it means we concede control of our lives over to Him.
Romans 6:6-7
"6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin."
We learn that at our baptism we not only received the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit, but we died. We died with Christ and our old self was crucified in Him.
As Christians we do not gratify our sinful desires any longer. In other words, as a Christian there are still things that are sinful that I would LIKE to do.
I am still TEMPTED to do wrong things; however, I REFUSE doing them because I am not going to gratify those desires any longer because I am not living to myself.
Colossians 3:5-10
"5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming.
7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them.
8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.
9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."
If we have really died to self, then we will not give into those temptations and desires we have. The new self should be increasingly more God-like in its actions.
Ephesians 4:22-24
"22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."
We No Longer Live to Ourselves
Galatians 2:20
"20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."
We need to understand that we no longer live to ourselves.
We have died.
Let us remember that dying to self means that WE no longer live, but it is CHRIST living in us.
Why Is Letting Go of Self So Difficult?
The idea of Heaven and eternity with God sounds great and perhaps many would volunteer to receive that, however the idea of signing your life away doesn’t sound too appealing, does it?
We love those feel-good verses of Scripture, but we begin to squirm a little when we read of the cost of following Jesus.
We love to be in control. We get a little uncomfortable when we read about denying ourselves and taking up our cross. That doesn’t sound too appealing.
William Ernest Henley in his famous poem entitled “Invictus” said, “I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul.”
Many of us have bought into this philosophy that we are the master of our lives. We like to be in control. I would much rather be in control of a situation than have someone else in control of the situation.
I am one of those people that would rather do it myself than entrust it to someone else. That is not a good attribute.
We need to learn to allow Jesus to be the master of our fate and the captain of my soul. Perhaps some feel like it is a violation of their freedoms to lay aside themselves and let Jesus take control. Perhaps they feel that this is the sign of somebody being weak and vulnerable.
Jesus taught that we must lose our lives to really find it.
By that He means that we give up the project of making OURSELVES the ultimate reference point in our world. We are not number one. The universe does not revolve around us.
We live in a very selfish society. The idea of sacrificing and giving up something
doesn’t sound appealing to many people. We are people that want to know the price of everything and the cost of nothing. We want to get as much as we can while doing as little as possible to get it.
The idea of delaying gratification seems ridiculous to many. We live by the philosophy, “if it feels good it must be right.”
What Must We do to Let go of Self? We must step down.
Perhaps we need to have the mindset that John the Baptist had when he said I must decrease and Christ must increase.
We must be willing to step aside and let Him have the glory and honor of all that we do or accomplish.
We must step down from our position of authority over our lives and give Him the reins.
There are many tools we can use such as prayer, Bible study, service, worship, and fellowship, but the reality is we must train ourselves to be godly.
Jesus is calling you to deny yourself today!
What cross is He asking you to pick up?
What part of your life is He inviting you to surrender so He can give you something better?
The call of Jesus is costly—but the reward is eternal.
