Guys who are getting married often joke about losing their freedom. “She owns me now,” they moan, half seriously. It is true that a married person is no longer just ‘me!’ They now live as ‘we.’ If a married man and woman try to maintain separate lives, they will never achieve the oneness that God planned for those who join themselves as husband and wife. If they focus only on what they must surrender to gain unity, they will fail to appreciate what they stand to gain by loving their spouse without reservation! By the way, guys, statistics show that married men who are family-oriented are healthier, happier, more stable, and generally more productive than men who never marry. Thank you, very much, ladies!
Being a disciple of Christ involves a kind of loss, too! Jesus, in discussing God’s Kingdom, observed that "the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!" (Matthew 13:45-46, NLT) Occasionally I counsel with someone who is struggling with commitment to the Lord. The questions asked are usually about the minimal acceptable level of participation in order to go to Heaven. “How often do I have to go to church? How much money do I have to contribute? Can I keep my old friends?” Thinking along those lines reveals an undeveloped appreciation about who Jesus Christ is and what it means to follow Him.
Just as a man who half-hearted in loving his wife can never really know the joy of a close marriage, so a disciple who follows Jesus from a distance will never enjoy the amazing joy of loving the Lord! Paul, the apostle, had gained many things in his religion! He was morally upright, respected by his community, and full of self-confidence. Then, Christ found him and called him. As the Spirit revealed the treasure he could gain, he willingly gave up what he had achieved. He describes the choices he made like this: "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, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:7-11, NIV)
Disciple, are you trying to live in two worlds - hanging onto old ways, reserving certain areas of your life to yourself even while claiming to be a Christian?
Do you complain about the ‘cost’ that accompanies the call? If your answer is 'yes,' then you are setting yourself up for disappointment! Once you have experienced the life of the Spirit nothing from this world can be fulfilling; but you can never totally enjoy the amazing embrace of God’s love while holding back parts of your heart from Him, either. The only way to find the ‘abundant life’ that He promises to those who love Him, is to radically commit yourself.
Here’s a word from the Word. Ponder the call and promise, then commit!
“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. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds." (Matthew 16:24-27, NLT)
______________________
One by one He took them from me,
All the things I valued most,
Until I was empty-handed;
Every glittering toy was lost.
And I walked earth's highways, grieving.
In my rags and poverty.
'Till I heard His voice inviting,
"Lift your empty hands to Me!"
So I held my hands toward heaven,
And He filled them with a store
Of His own transcendent riches,
Till they could contain no more.
And at last I comprehended
With my stupid mind and dull,
That God could not pour His riches
Into hands already full!
by Martha Snell Nicholson
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