Go Giving!

29Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, everyone who has left his home, brothers, sisters, mother, father, children or fields for Me and for the Good News 30will get a hundred times more than he left. Here in this world he will have more homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and fields. And with those things he will also suffer for his belief. But in the age that is coming he will have life forever."

Mark 10:29-30 (The Everyday Bible)

• Part of what it means to live life for Jesus and the Good News (Gospel) is to be willing to give up things.
  
• This scripture tells me that Jesus needs to be placed first. Living a Christ-led life means making it a top priority over everything else.
  
• When my priorities are in line and Jesus Christ is placed first and I am willing to give up and surrender everything, He promises that the reward will be a hundred-fold. A blessing like that from God is so great, it's beyond comprehension! What more incentive do I need to be willing to give it all up?!
  
• God promises that we will have it "here in this world", meaning NOW, -that's when we can receive a blessing by God. Therefore we need to act upon his instruction NOW!
  
• The Lord also tells us here that we will suffer, or be persecuted for our belief. I believe that this is a form of discipline from our Heavenly Father. For with belief comes a heed to God's instruction, with the obeying of His instruction comes blessings, and with these blessings must come discipline so that we may steward them well and not squander them.
  

Dear Heavenly Father please help me to be willing to give up everything that I have in this life and help me to endure persecution. Your rewards far outweigh any suffering because I know that every blessing and every gift that You give is worth more than anything in this world. Help me Jesus to always stand up and be a soldier for You. ~Amen