"I'll give you all I got to give if you say you love me too I may not have a lot to give but what I got I'll give to you I don't care too much for money, money can't buy me love "
-Can't Buy Me Love, The Beatles
I have that it is increasing true in life that the best things, the things that matter the most are both free and priceless (Sam Cooke sings about this). We can have all the money, material possessions, and all that goes with it and have a life that is empty and devoid of meaning. Love, happiness, beauty, faith, hope, and joy are the things that matter in life and they cannot be bought, sold, or reproduced.
As a person of faith I believe that not only are the best things in life free, they are gifts from God. It is only through God's amazing love and grace that we can experience the best of life. It is only through God that our life has meaning and purpose. It is only through God that we have the ultimate gift: the gift of salvation. Eternal life and the promise of heaven is a free gift of God's grace given through Jesus Christ. The love of God is free and unconditional and it makes all the difference.
We have been given the gift of life and the promise of eternal life freely from God. But if we want to live life as God intends for us, we must become transformed and live life for God. Discipleship is the human response to God's love and grace. To be a disciple means being in an active relationship with God; it means putting God first by following Jesus Christ. If salvation is a free gift of grace, then discipleship is a labor of love which requires work and effort. Like any relationship, our relationship with God requires time, effort, and energy and comes with a cost.
"Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it." Matthew 16:24-25
As Jesus prepared his disciples to be his followers and eventually become leaders, he wanted to clearly articulate the difficult and sacrificial life following God entails. Jesus tells them and us, that the life of faith is not easy and calls us to deny ourselves in serving the Lord. Self-denial means we no longer put ourselves first, but put God's mission first. In extreme cases throughout history this verse has become literally true as Christians gave their life for their faith. While not many of us we called to be martyrs, we are all called to a life of discipleship.
So what are willing to sacrifice for God? What does self-denial look like in your life? Do you sacrifice time to serve the Lord? Do you sacrifice treasure for God's mission? Are you giving your life to the Lord or are you keeping it for yourself?
These are deep, powerful questions which call us to examine our life, our choices, and our values. Being a faithful follower of Jesus is not easy. Living a life of self-denial is both difficult and counter-cultural; people may not understand, you may lose friends. Becoming a disciple means becoming more and more like Jesus, who gave his whole self for the world. We all have a long way to go, we all have room to grow.
The good news is that our relationship with God is secure through Jesus Christ. We have the free gift of God's grace which makes all the difference. We have a choice how to respond to the gift and while a life of discipleship requires sacrifice and self-denial, it comes with the fruits of the spirit and the presence of God.
As a disciple of Jesus who is on the way and learning more and more what it means to sacrifice for God, I can testify that the more I give to God the blessed I become. As my faith grows and my relationship with the Lord deepens, I have more peace, joy, patience, hope and love. I am a better person and have a growing sense of purpose as I serve the Lord and God's people. I pray the Lord continues to be presence in your life and you find encouragement to grow your faith in a life of discipleship.
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