It seems the longer we know Christ, the easier it is to become anesthetized to what He actually did on our behalf. We know the story of Jesus, how he became one of us only to die in our place. It’s a tragic but beautiful story. Too often that’s all it is to us. Whatever emotion and power we once took from the story has long since been replaced with nostalgia and boredom. How else do we explain the way we live? God gave His only Son to come and die for the wrongs we have done, yet we live our lives in casual indifference to that fact.
Jesus said the greatest commandment was to love Him with all of our hearts, will all of our soul, strength, and mind (Luke 10:27). Every day we fail to live up to this. The cares and concerns of this world have strangled our ability to love Jesus in the same way that He loves us. We seek worldly success and comfort at the cost of losing all of which actually matters. We have time for everything but God. We have money to spend on things, but not on His Kingdom. Days, weeks, and even months can pass between picking up a Bible or falling to our knees in prayer. Our lives are a pitiful representation of living out the greatest commandment of all.
I’m not sure why we don’t live for Jesus with the passion and excitement with which He asked us. He gave up absolutely everything for us: His comfort, His home, His power, His luxury, His safety, and even His glory. The One who has never done anything wrong chose to take on His shoulders every wrong we have ever done. It’s unfathomable. He did this just for you and just for me. He gave up everything because He considered our filthy, ridiculous selves to be worth more than everything He possessed.
In exchange for giving up His life, He showed us how to live and how to follow Him. And He asked that we would, indeed, follow. It should be a no brainer for us. No one has ever, or will ever, love us with such an extravagant love. Only Jesus was willing and capable of doing that. His sacrifice cost Him everything, and He offers it to us for free. To look at that in reverse, it costs us nothing to obtain all the love and blessings of God. We simply need to surrender our will to His.
What is your response to the love and sacrifice of Jesus? Will you follow His command to love Him with all of your heart, mind, body, and soul? Is it worth setting aside your earthly pursuits to seek a life of Heavenly rewards? Are you willing to stop building your tragic kingdom and build His glorious and everlasting Kingdom instead? Jesus thought you were worth giving up everything and dying for you. What is He worth to you?