Stand FirmSample

God Calls us to Count the Cost to Stand Firm

We have all been called to stand firm in our relationship with Jesus, but that can be easier said than done. As we live in a world where Christianity is seen as a touchy subject, controversial or looked down upon, we may tend to fall into following the culture, lowering our voices to avoid conflict, and conforming to worldly patterns.

However, in Mark 8:36, Jesus asks, ‘What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?’ Take a second to think about what this question means to you.

In this difficult and painful world, there are many costs and struggles involved in following God wholly and fully. You may be ridiculed, mocked, lose friendships, lose everything, yet these costs lead to the greatest gift of all - salvation in Jesus Christ and having our eternal destiny secure in him.

In Matthew 13, Jesus teaches that the kingdom of God is like treasure hidden in a field and fine pearls. Those who found the treasure and pearls were willing to sell absolutely everything they owned to have them.

Have you ever saved up for a holiday or an object that costs you a lot of money? All that time and hard work is put towards that specific thing, yet you are willing to sacrifice everything to gain that reward. It’s the same way the man and merchant saw the great value and sold everything they had just to have the treasure and pearls in their possession.

‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ - John 3:16

Jesus made the greatest sacrifice and died on the cross for you. His life was the cost for the forgiveness of your sins, but this cost is worth it, because you are worth it. You are the valuable treasure in the field and the fine pearls, and there is nothing that will make God love you any more or any less.

Questions

Reflect on what is costing you in your life to have full freedom and confidence in Christ.

How can you stand firm in your faith in the society and culture that we live in now?

Prayer

Lord, I thank you for your ultimate sacrifice for my sins and I pray that you give me the strength to stand firm in my faith. Help me to live against the pulls of society and worldly culture, and protect me against anything that will try to harm me in my journey with you. Amen.