Mark 10:28-30 Peter began to say to him, “See, we have left everything and followed you.” (29) Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, (30) who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life.

Jesus just had a conversation with the “rich young ruler.” Because of his great wealth, he was unable to give up his possessions to follow after Christ. Presumptuously, Peter responds, “See, we have left everything to follow you.” It was as if he was saying, “what reward are we going to receive,” believing that giving it all for the sake of the Gospel would be rewarded with material possessions.

Jesus makes it clear that aligning their lives with Him and the Gospel for the special call of spreading the message through all the world meant they would have to sever some ties to the things they had grown to know as familiar. Home, family, jobs, friends, their normal way of life would now look different. But in giving up those things, Jesus promises that they will be taken care of. As they preach the Word there will always be a home to take shelter in. There will always be brothers and sisters in the Lord to find fellowship with. There are many lands that will be open to receiving their message. They will even find reward in suffering for the Gospel… And the ultimate reward was eternity with Jesus.

Today I am reminded that as each of us step out in faith there are going to be things we are to give up. Many of those things we hold dear to our heart. We serve a loving and gracious God who knows this and will always give us the strength to carry on and the peace to endure.

Digging Deeper:

Luke 14:33; Phil 3:7-9; 2Cor 6:10

Apply It:

Is there anything in your life that you hold closer to your heart than your relationship with Christ? If so, what steps can you take to loosen the grip a bit and learn to love Christ more than even life itself?

Prayer:

Lord, we thank you for the promise of your Word. For helping us to see that when we sacrifice our “normal” way of life for the work of the Kingdom, you will never leave us but will more than provide for us. As this verse says… one hundredfold in return. Be with me today and give me the strength to let go of the things that hinder my walk with you. Amen