For Jesus Sake

Mark 10:28 (NET) Peter began to speak to him, “Look, we have left everything to follow you!” 29 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, there is no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for my sake and for the sake of the gospel 30 who will not receive in this age a hundred times as much – homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, fields, all with persecutions – and in the age to come, eternal life. 31 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

You Will Receive Back

Jesus promises a hundred times return. Not of the world’s goods, though it could include some of that. He promises if you leave things behind for his sake, you will get back a hundred times as much. Plus, two more things.

The First Other Thing You Get Back – Persecutions

I really don’t want the persecutions part. The idea causes some dread. But, it’s part of the package. The bad with the good.

If you choose to follow Jesus, it may cost you some friendships. When, at 19, I made a decision to follow Jesus fully, there was an initial loss. My first move was to go that weekend and tell my friends about my decision. These were my drug and drinking buddies.

Our main motivation in life was getting stoned. At first, it was the weekends. But why restrict a good thing to weekends only. So, eventually, it was every day.

Jesus confronted me one evening. Suddenly, I saw that the life he offered was so much better than what I was living. I felt compelled to break away from the friends I associated with.

I invited them to come with me. No one took me up on it. Even today, more than 40 year later, I have only had contact with one of those friends. I think I have seem him twice.

At the time, he was my closest friend. We shared an apartment. We were partners in business. We shot pool, drank and smoked together. We even attended classes together at a local community college.

Then, I left to follow Christ. It was over. Just like that.

Losing friends may not qualify as persecution, but it was a loss. Somehow though, it never felt like a loss. As soon as I started following Christ, new friends were there. Two are notable. Sam Morrow became my mentor and Jan became my wife. It was a good trade. No, a very good trade.

And in the Age to Come, Eternal Life

Life does not end here. It goes on. Forever. With God.

Author: Dana Roseman

Here is my business website, www.danaroseman.com View all posts by Dana Roseman