Just Give It Up!

Read Matthew 8 Luke 5,6

 It is often said that in life you have to "give up something to get get something". That is a very true statement, in agreement with the scripture that teaches "give and it shall be given to you". How true it is that you can put nothing into nor give anything from a closed hand, it has to be opened first.

 Luke 5:11 says they "...forsook all and followed him". The question of the day is, what have you forsaken to follow Him? Following Jesus has a different price tag for each person who chooses to follow. For some people, they were disowned by family members who didn't accept the change. Some folks leave their wealth and comfortable lives, to live as missionaries. Others have had friends forsook them after they came to the Lord and the list could go on forever.

 The purpose for their forsaking all was to become fishers of men Luke 5:10. In our self-centered society, the idea of forsaking or giving something up for the bigger cause is as foreign as showing love to someone who doesn't love you back, another novel idea from Jesus!

 We must get back to the place in God where nothing is more valuable than our pursuit of being in His perfect will. Jesus knew the only thing standing in the way of their total surrender to Him was FEAR (Luke 5:10). God has made it quite clear that when fear is present, we can be assured of one thing, He didn't give it to us!

 2 Timothy 1:7 settles the fear issue in our lives forever. Fear doesn't come from God and He is not pleased when we bow to it...Hebrews 11:6

Faith Confession: Father I surrender myself to follow you and I forsake all of the things in my life that are holding me back from being all that you called me to do, in the name of Jesus, Amen.