August 18, 2026 // Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Matthew 19:23-30
Reflect on the Word //
I was talking with a friend recently about all the things that haven't gone according to plan. Somewhere in the conversation, I found myself listing the things I felt I had surrendered to God over the years—relationships that didn't work out, opportunities I walked away from, expectations I had to release. I wasn't angry, exactly. Just tired. And beneath the surface was a question I was almost afraid to ask: Was it worth it?
Not because I doubted God, but because I couldn't yet see what He was doing with all that I had placed in His hands.
In today's Gospel , Peter asks a question that feels surprisingly human: "We have given up everything and followed you. What will there be for us?" (Matthew 19:27) I love that he says it out loud. After all the teachings, miracles, and acts of faith, Peter still wonders what all this surrender is leading toward.
Jesus doesn't rebuke him. Instead, He promises that whatever has been given up for His sake will be returned a hundredfold. The Lord promises him abundance even in the place of apparent loss.
Jesus doesn't deny the cost. The disciples really did leave things behind. Following Christ requires sacrifice. But Jesus invites them to see their losses through a different lens—not as things taken away, but as things entrusted to God.
That's the part I'm still learning. Sometimes, surrender feels less like a single decision and more like a daily choice to release my grip on what I cannot control. My plans. My timelines. My expectations for how God should work.
We all know what it feels like to count the cost of discipleship. May we also remember the promise that accompanies it: nothing surrendered to God is ever wasted. Even when we cannot yet see the fruit, we can trust that He is doing more than we know, and giving more than we can imagine.
Relate to the Lord // Make “Jesus, I trust in you” your prayer today.
