- Jul 13, 2004
- 105,430
- 34,726
- 97
- Gender
- Male
- Faith
- Christian
- Marital Status
- Widowed
- Politics
- US-Republican
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul
The Christian life involves taking risks. If all that being a Christian meant was to come to church and put a little something in the offering plate, then all you would risk is a few hours of time and a small amount of money.
But that's not what being a Christian is. The Christian life involves giving your life, all of your life, to Jesus. All your dreams, your desires, your hopes, your plans,everything that is within you.
Being a Christian will make a difference in the way you approach your career, the way you approach marriage, the way you approach child rearing, the way you approach your free time, the way you handle your finances, the way you choose your friends, the way you react to strangers, and on and on and on.
It encompasses every aspect of your life, every minute of every day. Therefore, if the Christian life is nothing but a sham, then we are the worlds biggest fools because we've given ourselves to lives of self-sacrifice and obedience instead of building our own little kingdoms and living for our selfish desires.
Jesus says that if you hold on to your life and live completely for yourself and your own selfish dreams, you'll end up with nothing. But if you give up those things, and surrender your life to Him, you'll end up with everything.
There are two roads you can take, Living for yourself, which leads to eternal death; or living for Jesus, which leads to eternal life. The self made road may include some success and pleasures along the way, but Jesus asks, "Are these things more important than your soul?"
Following Jesus is a life of risk, because you give up everything to be his disciple.
The disciple recognizes that without Jesus his life is meaningless, and the best he can hope for is to acquire some things that will slip through his fingers anyway. And a disciple realizes that if he will give up his meaningless life, that God will give him life far beyond his wildest dreams. A disciple gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. How does he do it? Self sacrifice. He gives up what he wants for what God wants.
There is a cost to discipleship. Clearly, the return is more, but the investment is required nonetheless.
What's the investment? Your life. Your all. Your money. Your time. Your hopes. Your dreams. Your desires. Your goals. Everything that is you. You surrender them all to Jesus. Not to the church. Not to the preacher, but to Jesus. What it means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ is to live with that attitude, "Not what I want, but what God wants."
The word disciple means "student" or "learner." That's what it is: it's a learning process. Whether you've just become a believer or whether you've been one for over 30 years, the process is the same. Take up your cross daily and follow him.
The Christian life involves taking risks. If all that being a Christian meant was to come to church and put a little something in the offering plate, then all you would risk is a few hours of time and a small amount of money.
But that's not what being a Christian is. The Christian life involves giving your life, all of your life, to Jesus. All your dreams, your desires, your hopes, your plans,everything that is within you.
Being a Christian will make a difference in the way you approach your career, the way you approach marriage, the way you approach child rearing, the way you approach your free time, the way you handle your finances, the way you choose your friends, the way you react to strangers, and on and on and on.
It encompasses every aspect of your life, every minute of every day. Therefore, if the Christian life is nothing but a sham, then we are the worlds biggest fools because we've given ourselves to lives of self-sacrifice and obedience instead of building our own little kingdoms and living for our selfish desires.
Jesus says that if you hold on to your life and live completely for yourself and your own selfish dreams, you'll end up with nothing. But if you give up those things, and surrender your life to Him, you'll end up with everything.
There are two roads you can take, Living for yourself, which leads to eternal death; or living for Jesus, which leads to eternal life. The self made road may include some success and pleasures along the way, but Jesus asks, "Are these things more important than your soul?"
Following Jesus is a life of risk, because you give up everything to be his disciple.
The disciple recognizes that without Jesus his life is meaningless, and the best he can hope for is to acquire some things that will slip through his fingers anyway. And a disciple realizes that if he will give up his meaningless life, that God will give him life far beyond his wildest dreams. A disciple gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose. How does he do it? Self sacrifice. He gives up what he wants for what God wants.
There is a cost to discipleship. Clearly, the return is more, but the investment is required nonetheless.
What's the investment? Your life. Your all. Your money. Your time. Your hopes. Your dreams. Your desires. Your goals. Everything that is you. You surrender them all to Jesus. Not to the church. Not to the preacher, but to Jesus. What it means to be a fully devoted follower of Christ is to live with that attitude, "Not what I want, but what God wants."
The word disciple means "student" or "learner." That's what it is: it's a learning process. Whether you've just become a believer or whether you've been one for over 30 years, the process is the same. Take up your cross daily and follow him.