The Cost

How much am I willing to give up for Jesus?

    Yesterday we visited Katie Davis' ministry: Amazima. It got me thinking about that question. She gave up her entire comfortable and familiar life for Him. Am I willing to do the same? In the Gospel's, Jesus went up to Matthew and just said, "Follow Me." Matthew immediately got up and followed Him. Jesus told Peter and Andrew to follow Him, and they dropped their nets and followed Him. They left a very well paying business to follow Christ. When Jesus called Levi, Jesus again went up to him and said ,"Follow Me." So Levi got up and followed Him. If they can easily get up,desert everything they know, then so can I.
     This picture is brought to life when we are in the village. The way to gather the children for the program is to simply walk a mile from our campsite to the main part of the village. As we walk down the red dirt road, lined with mud hutts, we hear the familiar voices of kids screaming, "mzungu!!" In which we reply, "Jangu!" (come). They drop everything and come running from their hutts to hug us and grab an available hand. The farther we walk down the road, the more kids we acquire until we reach our destination with a parade of kids following us. Why do they drop what they're doing to follow us? Because they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Our faith needs to look like this. This world should offer us nothing, so that when Jesus says, "Come, follow Me", we drop everything, run to Him, and follow Him. To this world, the cost of following Christ looks large, but the reward is even greater! As Katie Davis says in her book, "I believe that nothing is a sacrifice in light of eternity with Christ."

"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." Philippians 3:7-9

Lauren