I am thankful that people worldwide make sacrifices to build God’s Kingdom. Will you be willing to make such a sacrifice? I believe that is something we all need to ponder. We can be Kingdom builders only in the power of God. Often small daily sacrifices that seem insignificant are important to build the Kingdom of God.
For the good of the Kingdom, we can sacrifice some time to take someone to an appointment or be a volunteer in the community. Everyone wins when we build up others because this is how the Lord works. As we build up others, the Lord also transforms us.
The Lord, in His mercy, Rewards Those Who Follow Him
The Lord loves when people follow Him because it is then that He can transform our lives. Unfortunately, not everyone is willing to give of themselves to follow Jesus. When Jesus confronted a wealthy young man, he did not want to give up his lifestyle and follow Jesus.
Mark 10:28 Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said. 29 “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, 30 will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come, that person will have eternal life.[1]
Being a Follower of Jesus is a Blessing
Don’t focus on what you have given up to follow Jesus. Paul puts things in perspective when he tells us what a blessing it is to be a follower of Jesus. Philippians 3:8 Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ 9 and become one with him.[2] Following Jesus gives us opportunities to build up others and make a difference in their lives. Who in your life could you build up?
Scripture reminds us of the beautiful blessing of loving and encouraging each other. Hebrews 10:24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. [3] Take time today to praise the Lord for enabling you to be an instrument to build His Kingdom.
To hear more about the sacrifices to build God’s Kingdom, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/mark-when-riches-rob-you-of-jesus
[1-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.