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Worth It

Matthew 19:29

And everyone who has left houses, brothers or sisters, father or mother, children or fields because of My name will receive 100 times more and will inherit eternal life.

Jesus had just met with the rich young ruler, who could not part with his possessions to follow Jesus. Afterward, Jesus explained to His disciples that it is hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. To this, Peter responded with a valid question: “Look, we have left everything and followed You. So what will there be for us?” Here we find the typical, “What is in it for me?” question.

Jesus assured Peter that anything we give up for His name sake will be returned to us 100 fold, and we will inherit eternal life. Basically, Jesus promised Peter that his loss or sacrifice to follow Him would be worth it. He never promised prosperity or financial gain; He merely explained that the benefits of following Him would be seen in this life and in the next. In fact, you don’t want to enter the next life without following Him.

While we can never enter the kingdom of heaven by our works, choosing to follow Christ will cost us something. Our decision will affect those around us. If Christ calls us into a deeper level of commitment, the decision to go further will affect those we love, too. We may have to leave the comfort of our little worlds to receive the bigger world He has waiting. We can stay in our comfort zones and groan for more, or we can dare to step out on faith and follow Him. Whatever we sacrifice will seem small in comparison to the reward He has waiting. When our life here is over, our decision to follow Him will realize even greater returns when we are granted eternal life with Him in heaven.

Peter sacrificed everything on earth to follow Christ, but Jesus promised He would sit on one of the 12 thrones, judging the 12 tribes of Israel that is described in Revelation. The original apostles have a high ranking place in heaven, and their sacrifice on earth will seem very small in comparison. The key to making the required sacrifice to follow Jesus rests in seeing ourselves as small and seeing Him as much greater. When we realize just how insignificant our possessions and lives are here compared to eternity, any sacrifice required is worth it. We all need a glimpse of what God has waiting in store for us to be able to let go and follow Him. 

Begin to set your eyes on things eternal. Do you sense God calling you to give up something that seems great at the moment? If He is calling you to forsake it, He must have something 100 times better waiting for you. Even if you should fall in the process, He is able to pick you up and set you on the right track again. He is a God of restoration, and He will not leave you empty or void. To be saved means to be made whole, and His desire is to make you complete, not lacking anything. Whatever you give up for Him is worth it!

Have a blessed day!

PHOEBE Connections, Inc. is a 501(c)3 dedicated to enhancing the lives of widows by building relationships and helping them find new identity in Jesus Christ through serving others. We promote an atmosphere of fellowship, where the widow can connect with other widows to develop friendships and supportive relationships.