Pastor Andrew Wommack tells the story of how, when he was a child, he was in a church service with other children from his Sunday School class.
While most of the other children sat in the front, he sat in the back.
A visiting pastor came up on the pulpit, waved a $5 bill and asked the children, “Who wants this money?”
All the children waved their hands frantically, “Me, me!”
The pastor shook his head and asked again, “Who wants this money?”
The other children screamed even louder and waved their hands all the more, “Me, me!”
But the pastor still did not give any of them the money.
After a moment, young Andrew said that he finally understood what the pastor was really asking.
With that revelation, he got up from his seat in the back, ran down the aisle past the other children still in their seats, onto the pulpit, grabbed the visiting pastor’s arm, pulled it down and took the money from his hand and ran back to his seat.
The other children looked stunned at young Andrew’s boldness. The adults laughed.
The visiting pastor smiled and nodded his head in approval, “Now that’s who I was looking for! Someone who was willing to get up and come get it.”
Where is your position right now? Are you pursuing what God has for you daily?
Or are you still sitting in the pew waving your hands screaming “Me, me!” when your reward is within your sights?
Mike and I discussed this issue recently, wondering why so many Christians are stuck in that second position.
Then I was reminded of the story Jesus told in Luke 14:27-28 about the cost of discipleship:
Whoever does not carry his own execution-stake and come after me cannot be my talmid.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Don’t you sit down and estimate the cost, to see if you have enough capital to complete it?
Whenever you decide on any endeavor, a cost comes with it. Willingness to pay is a question of desire.
The cost may be finances, time or effort. The cost may even include the risk of other people’s disapproval, facing your own fears, or the internal work of dismantling wrong thinking and negative habits that you’ve practiced for years.
When it comes to discipleship or even health, you pay the cost through practicing new thoughts and habits daily. It’s not “one and done”.
It’s a lifelong journey, and life happens every day.
Only you can decide daily if the cost is worth it to you—and if you are willing to pay it.
From my perspective, the cost is worth it. After all, consider the alternatives.
The price is too high for the damage that comes from making wrong choices.
- The cost of poor health is too high.
- The cost of living with discouragement is too high.
- The cost of living with frustration is too high.
- The cost of inaction is too high.
- The cost of missing out on the good plans God has for you is too high.
Take a moment to think about the cost you are paying right now. Whether you know it or not, you are paying for something—every single day of your life.
Ask yourself if the exchanges you are making are worth it.
Jesus paid a high price for you. He thought you were worth it.
If you know that you are settling for less than God’s best, then I challenge you today to make a different choice, a better choice.
All you need to do is humble yourself and start with one choice.
Just one different, better choice.
Think of that one different, better choice as a deposit made toward your better future.
Are you willing to make that investment? I hope so. See yourself getting up out of your seat, running and grabbing hold of God’s best for you.
I am confident you will agree: The investment is worth it! {eoa}
Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify to God’s healing power to end binge-eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight-loss website takebackyourtemple.com. Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.
This article originally appeared at takebackyourtemple.com.
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