“Whatever you give up, you gain a million times in Christ. There is nothing in this life that is worth Jesus. For you to come to salvation costs nothing. For you to walk in the Kingdom will cost everything.” - Deon Vanstden

I always knew that following the Lord wouldn’t be easy. During training camp, God gave me a new perspective while Deon was speaking that it costs everything to live for Christ, but we will gain eternal perspective in exchange. When we give Him our brokenness, our failures, our hurts, and our shame; He gives us new life. A life filled with purpose, hope, joy, a reason to live, and the strength to persevere through trials. 

For when we live life in surrender as disciples of Christ and persevere through trial, we gain the crown of life and so much more (Luke 14:26-32, James 1:12).

I learned that He is worth it. He is worth missing out on the “fun” things, and He is worth living out of your comfort zone for 9 months. It is worth being seen as a “fool” or as “weird” when we live with Christ. He is worth it all. It does cost everything to follow Him, but what we give up of ourselves we gain so much more in Him. 

For example, I have left the comfort of my home for 9 months, but what I gain is the opportunity to live a life that is more simple. A life surrounded by my brothers and sisters in Christ, learning daily from each of them. I also get to learn how to trust in Him more, I have gotten to walk in healing and everyday He teaches me more and more about who He is. 

When I look at this picture of the view on the way to my best friend’s house, what I see isn’t a choice of which direction to turn to get to my final destination. What I see is a decision that has to be daily — the decision to choose whether we walk in the light or walk in darkness. I can choose to pursue the Kingdom and walk in the purpose and freedom I have in the Lord, with new mercies every morning, or I can pursue the darkness of this world and walk as a captive to my past sin and shame