Matthew 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me."
FOLLOW HIM
Following Christ is not a cake walk. Let's be real. If it was that easy so many people would do it, there wouldn't be backsliders, fence sitters, wide road runners or luke-warmers out there. The truth is if we are aiming to live this Christian life and follow in Jesus' footsteps, it’s going to cost us something.
Hear the Word of God in Philippians 3:7,8-14
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11 and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.
I think about some of the things in my life that I truly value and there is always a price that was paid. In order to truly appreciate it, it had to cost me something. For instance, my car-Al, God blessed me with him but I work hard to maintain him, to take care of him and to pay for him. Want to talk non-materialistic? How about every good relationship that I have-family, friends, co-workers...it costs me time, effort, patience, money...I literally invest part of my life into those relationships and get back as much as I put in and more.
So what does it cost you to follow Jesus? Here are a few I have thought of but I'm sure there is more. Following Christ will cost you:
1. Your Time - You can't build a relationship with someone without spending time with them. The same is true in building your relationship with Christ, you need time in prayer and time in the Word.
2. Your Talents - Well if all good gifts come from God, and He made you, it would stand to reason that your gifts and talents also came from Him. If He gave them to you, it was for a purpose, yes to enjoy them, but also to serve Him and bless others through them.
3. Your Treasure - Let's face it, you invest in the things you love. In order for God's Kingdom to grow and for us to follow in Christ's footsteps and reach out to others, it will take money. The question is not whether you will invest in something. We all invest in something, the question is which investment gives the greatest return.
4. No more excuses - Sometimes, we think that following Him is inconvenient, takes us out of our comfort zone, there are more important things to attend to first...excuses! To follow hard after Him, we have to do it in spite of the constant stream of obstacles. Believe me, there will always be a convenient and legitimate excuse.
5. Taking the hard road - it requires effort and courage to follow Christ. I mean you may encounter ridicule, embarrassment, accusations and opposition. Not to mention that you may endure trials, tribulations, hardships of all kinds...sounds appealing doesn't it?
Unfortunately a lot of people will say that life is not for them. It costs too much. What do they get out of it? Let's see, eternal life, fulfilling your purpose, helping other people, being light in a dark world, bringing hope to those who are lost, waking up everyday knowing that you are in the grip of grace and never alone, having peace that passes all understanding, joy...and the list goes on and on.
However, despite the many rewards both in this life and the next, there are those who aren't willing to pay the price...
Are you?
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