Worth the Cost

I don’t care how strange this sounds…I love the new Swiffer commercial!! After cleaning the house in record time (with the help of her Swiffer of course) the woman in the ad catches a glimpse of her coffee mug. With utter excitement she grabs the mug, rushes out the front door and revels in the fact that she now has the time to drink it on the porch! It’s a small pleasure, I know. She didn’t win the lottery, isn’t going on vacation to a luxurious island…she’s not even enjoying a fancy meal. Just a quiet moment with her coffee mug on the front porch. Ahhhh…what a thought.

The commercial makes me smile because I feel like I can relate to her! Oh to drink a coffee in the front porch…an uninterrupted, quiet, responsibility-less moment. Don’t get many of those moments anymore.

In fact if I’m honest I’ll admit that motherhood really has come with its abundance of  sacrifices. I’d be lying if I said otherwise. Rest. Freedom to hop in the car and go where I please. A wardrobe that contains only one size clothing. The ability to carry one purse with only my items…as opposed to a travelling kitchen/back up wardrobe. The constant heavy burden of wondering if I’m doing motherhood properly.

But you know what? It’s worth every sacrifice and much more. Like a treasure that you save up for and spend all you have to obtain, so is motherhood…completely worth the cost.

Some things in life are worth every last ounce of sacrifice.

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.”

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”

We can read these words, spoken by Christ, in Matthew 13. The point of the passage is not that we have to sell everything we have in order to enter the kingdom of heaven. However, what we do see in these words is that knowing God, walking and fellowshipping with Him, and ultimately living with Him in Heaven forever is an invaluable treasure, far beyond anything else we could ever obtain or dream of receiving.

But it does come with a cost. If we are honest we’ll admit that following Jesus is does require sacrifice, and does cost us something. Like what?
– It costs us our pride – Coming before a Holy God in confession and repentence
– It costs our will – Laying down our own preferences and living instead according to the ways outlined in God’s Word.
– It costs self denial – Living with Christ as Lord, rather than defending my “right” to be my own master

Yes, salvation is a free gift and is a result of faith alone. Yes and Yes again! But genuine faith, a life that seeks to follow Christ, will come with difficulties and cost. I don’t think anyone knew the cost of discipleship more than the apostle Paul. Listen to what he endured for the name of Christ in 1 Corinthians 11:

“Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches.”

Why go through all this? Why pay such a high price? Because the treasure far exceeded the personal pain and sacrifice.

I need to be reminded of the ultimate worth of Christ. No sacrifice takes away from his value. No earthly pleasure can compare with the knowledge of him. I don’t claim to always apply this, nor do I say it as though I fully live it. But I know it is true…and I press on in this pursuit to know him more.

What are the difficulties you face today? What “cost” is required in your discipleship of Him? What is your obedience requiring you to sacrifice at the foot of the cross? Together, let us keep our eyes on the Pearl of great price, the treasure of greatest worth…knowing Jesus Christ our Lord.