Is God Asking a Lot from You?

Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. Matthew 16:24 (KJV)

God asks a lot of us.

He asks us to love our enemies and pray for those who abuse us.

He asks us to place high value on people even though their actions and lives are anything but high and noble.

He asks us to have faith in the way life can be, not the way it is.

He asks us to go to Church for His sake- a lot.

He asks us to experience difficulty, pain, even sorrow and loss, and yet maintain a sense of love, joy, and peace in our hearts.

He asks us to be dedicated to spending personal time with Him every day, listening earnestly to His words, and sharing with Him the secrets of our soul.

He asks us to give our resources to Him- a lot. In fact, He asks us to give all we’ve got to Him.

He asks us to be willing to live for Him.

He asks us to be willing to die for Him.

He even demands that we give Him our love- all of it. He asks for our total commitment, affection, loyalty, service, for all our heart, all our soul, all our mind, and all our strength.

That’s asking a lot of us.

But here’s the truth:

God never asks us to do anything for Him that He has not already done for us.

He loved us when we were His enemies by choice, and He prayed for our conversion.

He placed infinite value on us even though our actions and lives were anything but high and noble.

He had faith in what our lives could be, not the way they were.

He spent worship time with the Father- a lot, and is our great High Priest.

He experienced difficulty, pain, sorrow and loss, and yet maintained a sense of love, joy, and peace in His heart.

He is dedicated to spending personal time with us every day, listening earnestly to our words, and sharing with us the secrets of His soul.

He has given His resources to us- a lot. In fact, He has given all He has to us.

He has lived for us.

He has died for us.

He has given us His love- all of it. He has given us His total commitment, affection, loyalty, service, all His heart, all His soul, all His mind, and all His strength.

And that’s giving a lot.