I Am Patrick预览

DAY 4: The Cost of Our Calling

DEVOTIONAL:

The documentary I AM PATRICK strips away the myth and legend of Saint Patrick and unveils the true story of one of the greatest missionaries of all time. But as this clip shows, the cost to follow God’s calling was high. Beyond forsaking his nobility and inheritance, he also faced the disapproval of family and friends. They did not believe the Irish people were capable of being saved and did their best to discourage and persuade Patrick to not go back. But Patrick was resolute in his conviction to follow God’s will, no matter the cost. And because of that faithfulness, Christianity has been profoundly influenced in the West.

Whenever God calls someone, there is a cost. You might have experienced that in your own life. It may be to leave the comforts of a city (or country) you are familiar with, to sacrifice material comforts, or to work two jobs to make ends meet. The point of having a cost with his calling isn’t to make it difficult to follow him, it’s to identify where your true attachments lie. Whenever something feels like it costs too much, you need to evaluate how attached you are to that thing versus how attached you are to Christ. 

Giving up everything is a consequent part of following Jesus. This is the very point that Bonhoeffer’s famous words highlight: “The only man who has the right to say that he is justified by grace alone is the man who has left all to follow Christ”. And, “When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” Death and cost-paying are irreplaceable parts of discipleship.

There is a paradox principle at play, to follow Christ we lose everything so that we might gain everything. We die to ourselves in order to truly live. What we learn is that however great the cost we face in following Jesus, we inevitably reap infinitely more than that. Because of this, we have the freedom to dive deep into his calling for our lives and plunge forward with no hesitation, no warning lights, just “go”. 

TALK IT OVER:

1. What costs have you had to pay to follow Christ? 
2. How would you describe the paradox principles of die to live and lose to gain? What have you lost? What have you gained?
3. What is something God is calling you to do that you need to pursue with no hesitation?