Philippians 3:8 “I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.”
In Korea during the last century, a businessman and a missionary were driving along together. As they passed by a field, the trader saw an old man with his son dragging a plough painstakingly through the earth, and exclaimed: “Wow, these folks are so desperately poor.” The missionary replied: “Yes, those two men are believers. During the church building project, they were committed to contributing something towards it, but they didn’t have any money. So they sold their one and only ox and gave the proceeds to the church. This harvest they’re having to pull the plough themselves.” The businessman was silent for a moment. Then he said, “That must have been a real sacrifice.” The missionary replied, “Yes, but they didn’t call it that, because they considered themselves fortunate to have an ox to sell.”
People often say to me how hard it must be to lay so much down to go to Africa. I find I can echo David Livingstone’s words from his journal: “People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paying back a small part of the great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings
its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind and a bright hope of glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege.”
Do you see your journey with Jesus as a privilege or a sacrifice today? Maybe a bit of both. There is most definitely a cost, but the benefits are even greater. So whatever you’re going through with Jesus, know that it’s worth struggle.
Lord, I choose a positive attitude today, knowing that with you I’ll get through whatever comes at me. Amen!
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