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:
“And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’?”
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 that 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!
Be blessed with health, healing, and wholeness,
Kimberly Taylor
Author/Christian Life Coach of the Take Back Your Temple program
Here’s just a small sampling of the value of the Take Back Your Temple program:
- You will learn the secrets of weight loss success – from someone who has been there
- You will discover how to win the Spiritual and mental battle that can make you inconsistent and get off-track on your weight loss journey
Click here to learn more about the Take Back Your Temple program
Wow this is very convicting and inspiring thank you Kimberly. Xx
You are welcome, Julie – I believe God has so many blessings for us. But we need to want them enough to move toward them 🙂