Bible Readings: Luke 14: 26-27, Philippians 3: 4-9
I have always been drawn to risks, but only when my heart is fully invested.
But this? Oh, this was a whole new level of nerve-wracking!
It was brutally tough!
I started to wonder if I had completely lost my mind.
There I stood, surrounded by strangers, chasing after a wild and unpredictable ‘GO’.
I used to think of myself as a risk-taker, but this was different—this was putting everything on the line to share the gospel.
Even as I longed for the safe embrace of home, I realised that sometimes, friend, God calls us to step out into the impossible.
He was 75 years old, with a comfortable life among his brethren, his family and friends.
Then God says, ‘Come to a land which I will show you’ Genesis 12:1
Life gets interrupted
Schedules get thrown off course
Paths take unexpected detours.
Plans get turned upside down
That’s what God did with Abraham.
He took him out of the familiar.
He moved Abraham from the comfort of the known into the mystery of the unknown.
He called him to leave everything behind and follow him to a place where He, the Lord, would show Abraham.
Now that is truly risky!
Based on his age, financial status, and family stability, Abraham had plenty of excuses.
Pause and reflect: What might Jesus be asking you to leave behind?
When Jesus asks you to follow Him, leave everything and come…….Mathew 4:19
He invites you to risk it all.
He draws you out of your comfort zone
He leads you away from what is easy and convenient.
He asks you to count the stars in the night sky.
He invites you to ponder the endless grains of sand along the seashore.
He calls you to journey into the uncharted.
I may not know your story or the battles you have faced, but I can tell you this: to follow Him, you will be asked to risk it all—your memories, your joys, your pain, every piece of your life.
Peter asked Him, ” Now we, the disciples, have left everything and followed you; in essence, what do we hope to get in return?”
Perhaps your heart is quietly asking…
For all my sacrifices, what will Jesus do for me?
Is Jesus worth my lifetime of sacrificial following?
I imagine Jesus responded with a smile: You are getting a hundredfold in return. You are getting all these things back times one hundred. All this is not for nought. Matthew 19:27-29.
It sounds amazing, doesn’t it?
But if you tend to cling tightly to your possessions, you will have to learn to loosen your grip for the sake of the gospel.
You release what you hold so you can finally grasp what truly matters.
When we surrender our lives for Jesus, we discover a life far greater in return.
“For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
Matthew 16:25
To truly follow Him, we must choose: Him or everything else.
“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he
cannot be my disciple.”
Luke 14:33
Take a moment to ponder: Can you offer God what you treasure most?
Are you willing to lay down everything for Jesus?
Each new day, we wake up to these choices.
To choose the world, or to choose Jesus.
To release the baggage we carry, or to cling tightly to Jesus.
If you are to risk it all,
You will need to summon courage, even when you feel anything but brave.
You must be ready to trust Him at His word,
You will be prepared to follow wherever He leads, right to the very end,
You will say farewell to the world and never look back,
You will reach for the deepest things of God and yearn for them with all your heart.
You will become a risk-taker, a fear-fighter, a persistent and undeterred disciple.
You are the one daring for God.
Apostle Paul, in Philippians 3:4-9, recounts all his achievements and accomplishments, but says all these things became a loss so he could gain Christ and be found in Christ.
But the rich young man believed he already had everything he needed.
He imagined his life was complete, even without Christ.
Yet the one thing he could not bear to lose was his ‘all’—his wealth, his charm, his fame, his comfort, everything he held dear.
He weighed the sacrifice and soon realised he couldn’t afford the cost.
He entrusted his heart to everything he had.
He left no room for Jesus in his heart.
He calculated the risk and thought it was way too expensive.
He simply could not risk everything he had worked for, or all his wealth.
He was no gambler, not a risk-taker by any stretch.s
He chose the safety of comfort and worldly pleasures over the adventure of following Jesus.
I can only sigh.
Let me ask you: What is Jesus truly worth to you?
Following Jesus is the greatest bargain you will ever find.
Not only do you receive a hundredfold return, but you also gain eternal life.
What offer could possibly be greater than this?
Jesus invites us to risk it all so we can gain it back multiplied a hundred times over.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank you for the power in the Word. Thank you for the assurance we have in you. I choose you today and forever. I recommit to choose you above all else. Help me to be a steadfast follower. Help me stand firm for you, Jesus, no matter what. Thank you, Lord, for this invitation in Jesus name. Amen.
By His Great Grace,
Ifeoma Samuel
If this article encouraged you, then “THE INVITATIONS” is for you.
Every day we wake to beautiful invitations that nudge us to draw nearer, lean closer, and glean more. We see them even in our least favourite places. Jesus sweetly pours out grace and offers us INVITATIONS.
