Willing to Sacrifice?

 By Glenda Little

In Matthew 19:16 it says, "Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?". This man was seeking, and he found the opportunity to ask Jesus a question. He wanted to know what good thing must I do to get eternal life? That's the million dollar question that many people ask when seeking Jesus. It's free, but be mindful that God gave His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins on a cross. Jesus didn't die for just for one sin but for ALL of our sins.

One of the responses to the young rich man's question was he must sell everything and give to the poor. Jesus wasn't talking in the human aspect of it. Wow, what if an unbeliever were told he had to do that? That's a hard one to swallow, I can just hear it! "But Jesus, I've worked so hard for everything I have and you want me to do what?" The Bible says that this young man went away sad, but my belief is that he was being challenged. Jesus was checking out his heart!

In September 2020, my husband and I felt the call to move to the mountains of Western NC. We didn't know what God's plan would be for us. After much praying and soul searching we put our house on the market and sold it within two weeks. Do we miss our family, friends, and church we left behind? Absolutely! But we listened to God!

We didn't have to sell all of our possessions, but we were willing to give up anything and listen to God. If you can't honor that then you are too attached to your possessions. We cannot love God with all our heart and selfishly keep our money. We need to use our riches in our local churches and communities to help the poor and needy. Riches are not always money, it could be a talent you have to share, volunteering, or cooking a meal for someone who is sick.

So what are we willing to do if we listen to the Teacher? Are you willing to say, "Lord, here I am, send me"? Jesus wants our hearts, not what we have stored up in material possessions. Jesus wants us to be a living sacrifice for Him.

 

 

Glenda Little is a native South Carolinian.  She and her husband, Steve, moved to Western NC in December 2020 and love it!