It Costed God Everything

Most of you know this already, but I am a huge collector of anything fishing.  I love having an abundance of various rods and reels.  And I also have a huge surplus of fishing lures and fishing related stuff.  I am a total nut what it comes to fishing.  Honestly, everything that I spend on myself is fishing related.  I don’t go out and buy clothes, phones, gadgets, sports memorabilia, or whatever. 
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I know, if my dad is reading this, he is probably shaking his head!  But I am just like you!  I remember seeing my fathers golf club collection, and man was it extensive, inspiring, and beautiful.  My father collected golf clubs and every club he has used and has always kept in pristine shape.  I am the same with my fishing gear. 

And I am always in the market in looking for something better, interesting, and unique.  I want to do everything I canto upgrade my fishing gear as the years pass by.  And currently, I have my eyes on one rod and one reel.  Maybe the rod I can afford someday, but I would only want the rod only if I can get the reel, so I can pair it together.  But unfortunately, the reel is way out of my budget, and there is no way I can afford such a fishing reel.

Well… unless… I give up something I already have.  The rod is about $300.00 and the reel is a whopping $600.00, together it will cost me $900.00.  Which isn’t going to break the bank for me, but it is just so hard to justify buying such expensive gear, that only selfishly benefits me!  Having expensive stuff isn’t going to make me a better fisherman, but having this tuff is just something I want.  However, I could still get this rod and reel combo, but it will cost me.  And to be honest, I wouldn’t want to pay for it out of the paycheck I earn.  That paycheck goes to my family and kids.  But if I give up the rods I already own.  If I get bust and hustle and trade and sell the rods and reels I already have, I could get this spectular rod and reel.  It maye cost me my entire collection of rod and reels.  Suddenly, my arsenal of 10 plus rods and reels I use a ton to catch fish, would cripple me to only one rod and reel, and that would limit me to what bass fishing lures I could use in the future. 

Is it really worth it?  Is it really worth giving up everything just for one thing?  In the case of my fishing hobby, absolutely not.  As much as I want this rod and reel, it is not worth me selling and trading in all the other stuff I already have. 

But, what if we up the stakes.  Afterall fishing is jusyt my hobby.  What if I apply this to real life?  What is worth giving up everything?  Well, when I met my wife, I gave up some stuff in my life because I wanted so bad to be with her.  I wanted her to be exclusively mine, so I focused all attention on her and not on other girls.  This was absolutely worth it.  Or something else.  Coming to be the pastor at Ward Ave. Presbyterian Church.  When I contacted this church and got a response, I put all my eggs in the basket in order to get this job.  I had a ton of interests form other churches, but I decided that I would focus all my attention on hoping to get hired at Ward Ave Presbyterian Church.  I honestly just felt that God was telling me to go for it.  That was scary, because I gave up everything to make sure I just focus on this one church that may even not hire me.  I had a wife and a young child, and I knew that if I didn’t get the job at Ward Ave. Presbyterian Church, I would have to start the entire process over again.  I would have wasted about 6-8 months of the hiring process.  But again, everything worked out and it was definitely worth it.

Life is costly, and your Christian faith must be lived as if it costs you everything.  Here is a quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer that I love. 
                 “Such grace is costly because it calls us to follow, and it is grace because it calls us 
                 to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace   
             because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and
              grace because it justifies the sinner. Above all, it is costly because it cost God the life
             of his Son: "ye were bought at a price," and what has cost God much cannot be cheap
            for us. Above all, it is grace because God did not reckon his Son too dear a price to
              pay for our life, but delivered him up for us. Costly grace is the Incarnation of God.”

I love these words!  Just to think that wear I stand with Christ is only because of a God who was willing to risk everything.  Grace is costly, because it costs God everything!  I have to ask God, “was it worth it?”  And I truly think that God would answer, “Absolutely!” 

So just remember in life and faith, we will run into circumstances in which we will have to make such costly choices.  God is asking us to give up our family, give up our security, but God is asking us to act courageously.  And if we think we want to better improve our life, it will cost us.  We will be at risk, we will have to gamble, and we will have to be bold.  But that is part of the life that God has given us.  Just always remember, when life gives you the opportunity that involves risk, know that God is with you and that God knows exactly how you feel because He has been there before, and regardless of the outcome, have no regrets.  Remember, God gave us salvation, and it costed God everything, because it costed His only Son.  Back then, God made that risky choice.  And when we see the world today, not everyone even acknowledges Jesus the Messiah or even acknowledges the existence of God.  The world seems to be broken in some places and sin is a unforgiving force that puts people in suffering.  But God, made the choice, and I do not think that God has any regrets, on that day and today.

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