“I’d rather live for myself”

Sometimes I wonder…

What if Mary said she couldn’t give birth to Jesus because the possible judgment and ridicule she’d have to face would be too much for her to bear?

What if Moses said he wouldn’t lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land because he wasn’t eloquent with his words and because his past sin he couldn’t erase?

What if Esther said she couldn’t possibly ask the king for the redemption of her people because of the potential danger she would face?

What if Paul said he couldn’t spread the gospel everywhere he went because the imprisonment, trials, and torture wasn’t the way he wanted to end his life?

What if Peter said he’d rather not speak boldly about Christ in public because it would lead him to the same cross it led Jesus to?

What if Jesus said he would rather not come down from heaven to bear our guilt, shame, and sin upon that cross and make a way for us for eternity?

What if…

What about you?

What if you say that living wholeheartedly for Jesus just isn’t your piece of pie.

You’d rather give Him the bare minimum and just get by.

It’s so much easier that way.

You wouldn’t have to step out of your comfort zone.

You wouldn’t have to give up any of the world’s pleasures for Him.

You could just show up to church on Sunday morning’s and make sure to throw your tithe in once a while.

You could just make sure to be as holy and righteous as you could possibly be.

As long as you make it into heaven you’ll be okay.

Mary didn’t have to agree to give birth to the Son of God. She could have just said that wasn’t the life she wanted to live.

Moses could have been fine with living out the rest of his life with his family in the desert. Not having the responsibility of leading the Israelites into the Promised Land. He wouldn’t have to deal with their complaints and worry about having to speak with his stuttering problem.

Peter could have been fine with being a fisherman and living a quiet life with his family after his time with Jesus. He could have prevented himself from a torturous death.

Esther could have lived in peace within the walls of the king’s palace. Never worrying about whether speaking up would mean the cost of her life.

They could have been fine with doing the bare minimum, yet they weren’t.

They couldn’t sit back and do nothing when they knew how sacrificial their own savior was.

They couldn’t stay in their comfort zones when they knew that would mean people would suffer without knowing the freedom they could find in Christ.

Esther couldn’t live in that big, fancy castle in silence when she knew that her people would perish if she wouldn’t speak up.

Peter couldn’t live a life never proclaiming the good news of Christ after he spent three years following Jesus around and seeing that He was truly the Son of God.

Moses couldn’t remain alone with his family in that desert forever, never stepping out due to his lack of ability to speak well knowing that his people were enslaved by the brutal Egyptians.

Jesus couldn’t remain in the luxuries of heaven knowing that He had the ability to come down as the living sacrifice to make a way for sinful people’s redemption for eternity.

What about you?

Will you be willing to give up the comforts of this world to live for the treasures of heaven?

Maybe God isn’t speaking audibly through a bush, and angel, or a voice from heaven.

But He’s speaking to you today.

And He’s asking, will you give it all to Him? The way that Moses, Esther, and Jesus did?

Can you stop living for what matters to the world and live for what matters to Him?

Give Him more than two hours on Sunday, but your everything?

How can we remain silent, giving God our bare minimum, live in our comfort zones when He gave it all up for us?

When there are lost people in this world that have yet to hear the good news?

When we know that this life is not all that there is?

When we meet Jesus face to face in heaven will were proud of how we lived?

Or ashamed that we spent all our years living for our own worldly pursuits instead of for Him?

What if today instead of making an excuse for not giving your all, for just doing what you can to get by, you make a choice just like these men and women of faith did to forsake the things of this world and live for the things of heaven.

To forsake staying safe in our comfort zones.

To forsake living the ideal, worldly life.

To forsake our own earthly ambitions and dreams.

And instead live for His.

Sure… living for yourself will be easier.

It won’t require you to sacrifice a single thing.

But in the end, will you really be okay with giving Jesus a little piece of your life when He gave you all of His?

Will you be okay with Him asking you why you did nothing but live for yourself when so many people in the world were suffering because they never heard the truth about salvation in Him?

Will you be okay with never reaching your full potential in Him because you were too busy trying to live out the American dream?

I know I wouldn’t be.

Today… remember that this life is not about you. It’s all about Jesus.

Don’t get caught up in things of this world.

Instead get caught up in Him.

Allow Him to show you how you can stop living for things that don’t matter and start living for the things that do.

Be blessed! Anna… ♥

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” – Mark 8:35