John 16:16, 20 – “A little while, and you will see me no longer; and again a little while, and you will see me.” 20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice. You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will turn into joy.”

THEME OF THE DAY: A COST TO PAY. There is a ton of emotion in today’s scripture. Jesus is telling His dearest friends and disciples the end for Him is near. The cross is coming into focus. His departure from this sin-cursed world approaches. His mission is about to conclude and His followers can no longer follow Him as they once did. Gone will be those intimate settings on the shore of the Sea of Galilee watching Jesus heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and teach of the coming Kingdom. Past will be those sacred times of sitting in the meadows listening to the Master’s profound teaching. All that will be left for them is memories of Him, and the real present danger of being identified with Him. They are afraid, full of sorrow, pain, and promised by Jesus their future will be one of suffering and tears. And we must be prepared for the same lot He promised them. It is a true saying, “No cross to bear in this life means no crown to wear in the next.”

Any Christian wanting to leave a Christ-centered legacy in their family, church, and community must pay a high cost. Any Christian desiring to be used by the Lord to reach the lost, minister to the suffering, and encourage the hurting must be willing to pay a high cost. And what is the cost if we want to glorify God, experience His love, and be an instrument of His grace in our worlds of influence? It is two-fold.

First, there will be the high cost of personal sacrifice in time, energy, and resources to know Christ. We may only be like Christ in our families, churches, and communities, if we are growing in our knowledge and experience of Christ. Don’t think impacting our worlds is first and foremost about getting busy and active doing things for others or offering a little service in our churches here and then. No, first and foremost if we want to be used by Christ, we must know Christ. Get this right and first, and we will be sacrificial in serving our families, churches, and communities with the service that matters most – in the spiritual realm. And to know Him, we must ensure time in His Word and prayer are the highest priorities in life. That does not mean neglecting our responsibilities in life, but it does mean making sure they are not the highest priorities in life. The most important thing we give our families, churches, and communities is our Christlikeness. Robert Murray McCheyne said, “It isn’t great talent God uses most, but great likeness to His Son Jesus He uses most.” And to know Christ is costly. Very. It costs laying aside the time invested in the desires and allurements of the world to be in the Word.

The second area of personal cost we must pay if we want to be used by the Lord Jesus is what the disciples were promised by the Lord; a life of weeping, suffering, sorrow, grief, misunderstanding, being taken for granted, and enduring persecution. To be like Jesus in the world means entering the world as He did. He said, “As You sent Me into the world so I have sent them into world” (John 17:18). How does this apply to us? It means we must leave the “safe” comforts of a personal culture and lifestyle of everything Christian – our friends we associate with, the social activities we do, and the events we attend. We simply cannot be salt and light in the world if we isolate from the world. Aren’t we glad the disciples didn’t retreat to themselves? But don’t be afraid. Like His disciples, Jesus calmed their fears with the promise of His Presence. He will do likewise for us. Yes, there is a cost to enter the world of sin to reach sinners. It will hurt as we enter the lives of the hurting and weep with those who weep. Remember, though, the One who sent us into the world goes with us on His mission in the world. Oh, may the Lord help us to see the high cost of following Him to be used by Him, then pay it for His glory and the world’s good.

PRAYER: “Father, I praise You for the heavenly hope You have given me in Your Son”

QUOTE: “The Christian life will not be a bed of roses, but one of sorrow, suffering, and tears”