THE COST OF BELIEF
Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it.” Matthew 16:24-25 (NLT)
Have you ever noticed the first word Jesus says when calling His disciples? He says If. If anyone would follow Me. Today, in our sales/consumer-driven world, we’re almost numb to sales pitch. We’ve been bombarded by products promising that for three easy payments, our lives can be fundamentally better. We go on social media and look at people selling the best part of their lives, but deep down, we know life isn’t always picture-perfect, is it? Jesus never oversells and under-delivers. In fact, from a sales perspective, pitching this would have been terrible. He doesn’t press, negotiate or try to convince; He simply lays it out there, If. And then He jumps straight in with the cost, Oh, by the way, if you want to be My disciple, then you must die to yourself. What?!? Jesus, couldn’t You have made it sound a bit more compelling? The truth is Jesus wasn’t interested in creating fans. He wanted disciples. He wanted men and women whom He could share the Kingdom with.
It's interesting that Jesus offers a death-to-life kind of life. We die to ourselves so we can live for Him. The irony is those who die to themselves find a life from Jesus that’s far greater than anything they could have found themselves. The alternative is to try and live now and then one day you die, but the truth is people who’ve been living for themselves die on the inside long before they do on the outside. Jesus has an amazing life planned for you, but He’s clear that there is a high price. Surrender isn’t optional. It’s a necessity in our faith. Remember what John the Baptist said: I become less so that He can become more (John 3:30). God can only fill you with belief, power and His Spirit when we first lay down ours. This is the way of the Kingdom.
APPLICATION: Today, become less and let Him become more. Let His light shine.
PRAYER: Ask the Lord to help you surrender your time, talents and treasures to Him. Ask Him if there is anything that is blocking you from laying your life down, then give it to Him. Ask for deeper power and belief.
“… Our Father in heaven…” Matthew 6:9b (NLT)
- What do You want to say to me today as my Father?
“… may Your name be kept holy.” Matthew 6:9c (NLT)
- What do You want to reveal to me about Your power today?
“May Your Kingdom come soon.” Matthew 6:10a (NLT)
- Help me make Your priorities my priorities today.
“Give us today the food we need,” Matthew 6:11 (NLT)
- Is there anything specific You want me to do with my time or the people I’m around today?
“and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us” Matthew 6:12 (NLT)
- Reveal to me anyone I need to forgive or ask for forgiveness.
“And don’t let us yield to temptation…” Matthew 6:13a (NLT)
- Is there anywhere I’m vulnerable to temptation?