If you have ever signed up to join the United States military several of the things you notice are that you no longer run your life, you now have a new set of commands you must be obedient to, and your allegiance to defending America is now your top priority.
The parallels to becoming a disciple of Christ are similar to the above scenario. Kay Arthur gives us a great picture of what Christianity is all about when she commented: “If you do not plan to live the Christian life totally committed to knowing your God and to walking in obedience to Him, then don’t begin, for this is what Christianity is all about. It is a change of citizenship, a change of governments, a change of allegiance. If you have no intention of letting Christ rule your life, then forget Christianity; it is not for you.”1
Yes, I will concede that the cost we have to pay to follow Jesus is quite high but have you ever considered the price you will have to pay if you choose not to be a disciple of Christ? While you may accumulate great wealth here on earth the fact is that when you die you won’t be taking any of it with you. Someone else will get the fruits of your labor. I like how Randy Alcorn put it: “When you leave this world, will you be known as one who accumulated treasures on earth that you couldn’t keep? Or will you be recognized as one who invested treasures in heaven that you couldn’t lose?”2 Or as the Scriptures put it: “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Mark 8:36).
While I agree that there is much we have to sacrifice to become a follower of Christ what we receive in return, in my humble opinion, makes the sacrifice well worth it. Consider how the great missionary to Africa, David Livingstone, as I share in an earlier devotion a few days ago, viewed the trials and sacrifices he made for the sake of Christ:
“For my own part, I have never ceased to rejoice that God has appointed me to such an office. People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa… Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in… the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view, and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege. Anxiety, sickness, suffering, or danger, now and then, with a foregoing of the common conveniences and charities of this life, may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment. All these are nothing when compared with the glory which shall be revealed in and for us. I never made a sacrifice.”3
In this world following Christ means more trials, sacrificing many creature comforts, having to love our enemies, and a host of other things that our flesh may not like. But when we do this for Christ we get peace, joy, and rich meaning now, and a host of eternal blessings later. My friends when we give up everything to follow Jesus there is one thing we get in return that we can’t get in any other way – and that is a vibrant and special eternal relationship with the God of the universe. And in the words of David Livingstone I choose to look at my relationship with Jesus rather as a great privilege than a great sacrifice!
1 15 Kay Arthur Quotes | ChristianQuotes.info
2 15 Randy Alcorn Quotes | ChristianQuotes.info
3 David Livingstone: Missionary, Explorer, and Abolitionist (bethanygu.edu)
Not a great post. Posts like this make it more difficult to introduce people to Christ. Christians grow into there Christian walk along the road of Sanctification. They generally don’t come in strong. Keeping step with The Spirit is one foot in front of the other as we learn.