All or Nothing

Marriage is an all or nothing proposition.  Getting married and dating on the side simply doesn’t work.   Even without looking at marriage from a Biblical perspective, most people would prefer their marriage to be all or nothing.  The same is true for your relationship with Jesus Christ.

Are You Holding Anything Back?

When we make a decision to follow Jesus and trust Him as our Lord and Savior, we sometimes hold a little back.  I think we’ve all done it to some degree.  There’s that “not so bad” sin that we only do every now and then that doesn’t really hurt anybody.  Jesus won’t notice a tiny indulgence.  I can hold back just a little worldly pleasure for myself.  That’s the way the thinking generally goes.  Is studying the Bible really all that important?  Do we really need to attend a worship service every week?  What about prayer?  Does God even listen to prayer anymore?  A night out drinking isn’t a big deal if you only do it once a month – right? A careful reading of the Bible seems to suggest Jesus is looking for a much bigger commitment.

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”  Luke 14:26 (NIV)

How to Give Him Everything

Yes, following Jesus is an all or nothing proposition. The above scripture is telling us our love for God needs to exceed our love for all of our other family members; indeed our love for God needs to exceed the love we have for ourselves.  Following Jesus needs to be at the top of our list and should exclude all else this world has to offer.  Jesus died on the cross so that we can travel with Him to an eternal existence that far and away outshines anything this world has to offer.  That realization is what makes it easy to say no to this world and yes to Jesus.  The teachings of Jesus will provide us with that awesome future; and if carefully considered, produce a life that is totally fulfilling. Are you holding anything back?  Or are you giving it all to Jesus?

“Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.”  John 12:25 (NIV)

All scripture references are linked to Bible Gateway so that you can read each verse in context.  Bible Gateway allows you to change the verse to your favorite translation and compare it side-by-side with multiple translations.  In addition, you can select to hear an audio version of any verse by clicking on the speaker icon.  Keep the Bible Gateway App on your phone so that you can visit the Word of God at any time during your day.

Christians are Blessed