Do You Know the Cost of Following Christ?

Have you committed your life to Christ?

Do you know what that means in your every day?

Most of us know that committing your life to Christ doesn’t mean kicking back and enjoying an easy path.

Following Christ comes at a cost.  And yet the reward is far greater.

We must be willing to sacrifice these three things in order to truly live our lives for Christ.  But don’t grow discouraged because with these costs comes a reward worth the trouble.

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 2 Corinthians 4:17

Cost of Comfort

When we commit to follow Christ, we must be willing to step out of our comfort zone.  Trusting God means that we must leave our old selves behind.  This is not easy.

We want the comfort of financial security, good health and the ability to pick ourselves up by the bootstraps and do it all on our own. 

Trusting God to take care of your every need is extremely hard.

I work to build up my savings account just in case I receive medical bills too big to pay.  I stress about money and jobs and safety because I need a back-up plan.  Just in case, right?

God has called me to leave a comfortable career path in pursuit of something risky.  And when I’m not relying on Him every morning in prayer, I start building up my back-up plan again.

But in creating a back-up plan, I’m seeking to find comfort and security in my own power.  When we find comfort in our own power, we fail to give God the trust He needs to truly work in us.

[bctt tweet="When we find comfort in our own power, we fail to give God the trust He needs to truly work in us." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

We must take comfort in our salvation in Christ alone.  He died to bring us eternal life and that is where our hope should be.  When you keep your eyes on Christ, you will be able to find comfort in Him.

Don’t seek to find comfort in your own power.  This comfort is temporary, but the comfort you find in Christ will last forever.

Cost of Selfishness

Following Christ means that we must give up the desire to serve ourselves first.  Our world is built upon that notion.  We want everything to be equal and fair.  We want the same exact privileges as each of our neighbors. 

But when you are fighting so hard for your desires, you begin to overlook those around you.

And, most of all, you begin to overlook God’s purpose for you.

God calls us to serve others and to love others above ourselves.  God calls us to deny ourselves and to seek Him with all our heart.

This means that we must put His will before our own. 

I’m not saying ignore your every desire.  God places many desires of His in your heart.  God wants to give you your desires, but they must first align with His will.

[bctt tweet="God wants to give you your desires, but they must first align with His will." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

When we seek to align our desires with God’s will, we will find blessings beyond belief.

We must deny ourselves as an idol.  Place God and His will first in your life and in doing so, God will do amazing things.

Cost of Brokenness

When we receive the saving grace of our Savior, we become His. 

We no longer live in our brokenness.  He came to take away all that separates us from our Heavenly Father.

So many of us hold onto the brokenness within us.  We hold onto broken pasts, broken relationships, broken hearts.  We fear exposure.  We fear betrayal.  Most of all, we fear shame.

But Christ came to set the captives free.  He came to deliver us from that very brokenness that fills our hearts.

It’s not an automatic process.  It’s not an easy process.  But it is necessary.  Letting go of our brokenness is essential to living a life for Christ.

[bctt tweet="Letting go of our brokenness is essential to living a life for Christ." username="NicoleAKauffman"]

So how do we truly give up our comfort, selfishness and brokenness?  It is something that has governed our lives and our hearts for so long.  How do you truly let them go and follow Christ as He calls us?

1. Pray

God is the only one who can change your heart.  Naturally, we are sinners.  We are a fallen people and we must constantly submit our hearts to God for transformation.  Pray for the release of your heart from these things and pray for specific areas that you know need deliverance.

Start a prayer journal and write down these prayers.  It is amazing to see how God transforms your heart.

2. Commit

The only way to make a change is to commit.  Discover what needs to be removed from your life in order to commit to following Christ more fully.  What tempts you to fall into your old ways?  What tempts you to trust the world before your Savior?  Bring an awareness to these things so that you can beat them before they take hold in your life.

Temptations will come, but God will provide a way to overcome them.  Commit to do everything possible to overcome these things that pull you away from Him.

3. Serve

The greatest way to make a change is to take action.  If you lay the foundation by praying daily and committing to a change, then the next step is to do something about it.

Don’t wait for the feelings to come, act now.  If you have been withholding giving your time or giving your money, start doing that now.  Find a way to get involved in your church, serving God and serving others.  In doing so, God will complete the transformation in your heart.

 

Following Christ comes at the cost of our comfort, our selfishness and our brokenness.  But the reward for living our lives for Him is eternal life.  He brings our hearts to a place of peace and joy.  He will deliver you from your troubles and you will spend eternity in His love. 

The cost is great, but the reward is far greater.

In what ways will you commit to follow Christ?