It's absolutely true; you gain through giving up. Not that this is the rationale to do so; it's just the reality.
"everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19.29)
This is certainly my testimony. One of the hardest decisions of my life was to leave home and family at the tender age of eighteen, to attend Bible college and prepare to serve in pastoral ministry. To this day, I'm amazed I wasn't in an auto accident as I drove to college for the first time, because my vision was clouded with tears most of the way. But, this difficult journey was the beginning of an immensely rewarding one. My circle of friends and family has literally been multiplied. Having left the security of my parent's home, I've now been blessed to own four homes over the years (if having a mortgage truly equals owning a home!). I've visited and lived in places I could never have imagined. And, above all, the promise of eternal life in the age to come has never burned brighter. As testimony to the words of Jesus, I have indeed been blessed as He said.
The gospel of Mark - parallel to these words in Matthew - includes a phrase omitted in Matthew's account: "along with persecutions" (Mark 10.29). The blessings of this age, and the hope of the age to come, are not without hardship. The Christian life is hardly cake walk time; there are those radically opposed to the truth we declare and live.
Jesus doesn't need my personal testimony to validate the truth of His teachings, but I can't help but to speak of how true His words are in my life experience. I've gained far more than I've given up. I wouldn't trade my journey thus far for anything.
I pray that my testimony will give you cause to pause and consider how greatly your life has been enriched because of your deliberate choice to pursue the king and the kingdom. May the people of God today lift up a great collective prayer of thanks for the blessings of the journey.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
"everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name's sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life." (Matthew 19.29)
This is certainly my testimony. One of the hardest decisions of my life was to leave home and family at the tender age of eighteen, to attend Bible college and prepare to serve in pastoral ministry. To this day, I'm amazed I wasn't in an auto accident as I drove to college for the first time, because my vision was clouded with tears most of the way. But, this difficult journey was the beginning of an immensely rewarding one. My circle of friends and family has literally been multiplied. Having left the security of my parent's home, I've now been blessed to own four homes over the years (if having a mortgage truly equals owning a home!). I've visited and lived in places I could never have imagined. And, above all, the promise of eternal life in the age to come has never burned brighter. As testimony to the words of Jesus, I have indeed been blessed as He said.
The gospel of Mark - parallel to these words in Matthew - includes a phrase omitted in Matthew's account: "along with persecutions" (Mark 10.29). The blessings of this age, and the hope of the age to come, are not without hardship. The Christian life is hardly cake walk time; there are those radically opposed to the truth we declare and live.
Jesus doesn't need my personal testimony to validate the truth of His teachings, but I can't help but to speak of how true His words are in my life experience. I've gained far more than I've given up. I wouldn't trade my journey thus far for anything.
I pray that my testimony will give you cause to pause and consider how greatly your life has been enriched because of your deliberate choice to pursue the king and the kingdom. May the people of God today lift up a great collective prayer of thanks for the blessings of the journey.
Steve
©Steve Taylor, 2012
posted by steve @ 9:27 AM
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