Give Up

What are you willing to give up for the Lord?  I was reminded of this in a class that I attended last night, and even though this wasn’t brought up, I think the key to what was said was our priorities.  I think priorities have a way of molding our life and our actions.  When we take a good look at our priorities we can learn a lot about ourselves.  Whether you are a believer or not we all have priorities.  

Ask people this question; what is your first priority?  I think you will hear many different answers depending on where they are in their life.  It may be an education or finding a job, or it may be a goal they have had in their mind or maybe they want to be a millionaire by the time they reach 30 years old.  Maybe their priority is buying a house and having a family and living the American dream.  Like I alluded to earlier, if someone took a survey they would hear all kinds of different priorities that people have.  Let me say this, believers first priority should be to fear the Lord and honor Him.

King Solomon said it this way in Ecclesiastes 12:13:

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter:

Fear God and keep His commandments,

For this is man’s all.”

If your first priority is to love God and at the same time fear Him, so that you won’t try to take advantage of Him, and to keep His commandments, you are on a solid foundation.  Building your life with Him at the center will give you the balance you need to build a godly life.  Building on any other foundation will only be wasting your time.

Read what it says about this in Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

This is a time of great materialism in our country and instead of seeking our needs we seek our wants and many of us could come under the banner of hoarders.  I don’t think God is against us having things but He is against the things we have, having a hold on us.  In other words, God doesn’t want us to hold onto the things we have so tight that we can’t let them go so He has to pry them out of our hands, so to speak.  If that happens, then the things we are supposed to own and enjoy have a hold on us and in the end can become idols and we become idolaters.  Anything we cling to and think more of than we do of God, can ultimately become an idol, like I said.  

Many people’s first priority is to be wealthy and have all kinds of money and things that they think will make them happy but money isn’t the real source of happiness.  It is true, we need a certain amount of money to pay our bills and put food on the table, but that should never be the first priority in life.  People buy lottery tickets or gamble, hoping to get rich; but from what I hear, most everyone that has hit it big on the lottery is miserable and it has messed up their lives.  The Lord is the only sure investment in this life.  It doesn’t matter what or how much you have, if you miss out on heaven it will mean nothing.

The Word says this in Mark 8:36-37, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Money or being rich has a way of changing ones perspective and even their personalities and their devotion.  Take the rich young ruler, for instance, it seems to me he started out honoring God and keeping His commandments but something happened along the way.

Read this in Mark 10:17-25, “Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, ‘Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?’

So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’

And he answered and said to Him, ‘Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.’

Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.’

But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, ‘How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, ‘Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.’”

This man’s money and his wealth were more important to him than following the Lord; what a sad ending to this story.  This can happen to any one of us.  It doesn’t have to be money; it can be a multitude of things, so be careful what your main priority is and, if it is not the Lord, make Him your fist priority today.  I have given you something to think about.  Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!  PS what will you be willing to give up for the Lord!!