The cost of following Jesus

5 / 11 / 165 / 11 / 16

A friend and her family had recently moved to a new city. Their new home is hours away from the place she had lived her entire life. She was comfortable in her hometown, surrounded by family and friends, and had no intentions of ever leaving.

When her husband brought up the subject of moving, she immediately dismissed it. Her mind and heart were closed to any thoughts or discussions of the idea. She couldn’t bear the thought of moving away from loved ones.

How could she pack up her family and move to a place they have never been to? Where would they live? What were the schools like? There were so many unknowns.

She had committed her life to Christ many years ago and was passionate about following him wherever he would lead her. But she never imagined the cost of moving far from the only life she knew.

Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” – [biblegateway passage=”Luke 9:61-62 ” display=”Luke 9:61-62 “](NIV)

In Luke, we meet a man who had a choice between two paths. His left foot rested on one path while his right foot was situated on the other. He wanted to follow the path Jesus was leading him on, but he also wanted to stay on the path that was familiar to him – the one that kept him home with his loved ones.

Maybe, like my friend, he was afraid to leave his comfortable and safe life. Or maybe he thought he could ease into being a disciple by following Jesus part-time. When Jesus asks us to follow him, he wants our whole heart and willingness to go where he leads.

After a few weeks of praying, my friend opened her heart to the move. It was not easy for her. She was afraid of what lie ahead, but her faith in Jesus carried her on this new path of life.

She could have stayed on the path she was already on, but she chose to take the one Jesus was calling her to. If she had remained closed to following Jesus, she would have missed out on wonderful opportunities to serve him.

Like my friend and the man in scripture, we are all called to be a disciple of Christ. This may mean leaving the comforts of life to travel to unfamiliar territory, but when we follow Jesus in faith, we receive many blessings that will last for eternity.

Jesus is calling. Are you ready?

Discover the beauty of following Jesus where he leads in Suzie Eller’s book Come With Me . As you journey into the lives of the twelve disciples, you will discover how they were changed by accepting a personal invitation from Jesus to follow him. Suzie will speak straight to your heart and challenge you to live life as the thirteenth disciple.

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Over It: Conquering Comparison to Live Out God’s Plan Book Review

4 / 5 / 16

That women over there – the one with the perfect hair and stylish clothes – sure does have it all together. She has a much better handle on life than me. She is organized, I am not. She always knows what to say in any situation. My mind suddenly becomes blank in situations where I need to think quickly. If only I could be just like her…

“Taking our focus away from God & placing it on other women diverts our course.” – Kristine Brown

It’s easy to compare ourselves to other women, but it can also be very damaging to our self-esteem. Kristine Brown’s new book Over It: Conquering Comparison to Live Out God’s Plan leads the reader through stories of three women in Scripture who fell into the comparison trap. Go deep into scripture and discover how these brave women found freedom from comparing.

Take this journey and learn how to free yourself from the expectations of others and live the life God has planned for you.

“By committing everything I do to God, I’m letting go of the desire to please others.” – Kristine Brown

Purchase your copy of Over It: Conquering Comparison to Live Out God’s Plan. A portion of the proceeds of this fantastic book will benefit the More Than Yourself Scholarship program for girls.

5 Habits of a Woman who Doesn’t Quit Book Review

3 / 1 / 16

Do you have hopes, dreams and goals? Do they seem so out of reach from where you stand right now? Do you just want to quit?

Sometimes we need refined in an area of life that we didn’t even know was an issue. That’s what I realized once I started reading my friend Nicki Koziarz’s book 5 Habits of a Women who Doesn’t Quit.

I have a habit of starting a project with much enthusiasm but as the weeks go by, that feeling fades and I become less inclined to continue.

“God gives favor for small steps of obedience over big empty promises.” – Nicki Koziarz

Nicki Koziarz’s teaching came to life as she walked me through the Book of Ruth. I discovered how Ruth had plenty of chances to quit. Her husband had just died and her mother-in-law, Naomi whom she loved, had decided to return to her home land in Israel.

Instead of returning to her family, Ruth decided to follow Naomi. There were many chances along the way for Ruth to give up and return home. Instead she followed through with her decision – she did not quit.

“A committed woman learns to choose what she wants most over what she wants now.” – Nicki Koziarz

Nicki offers five habits a women can acquire to follow through with her commitments. Just like Ruth accepted the assignment of refinement and allowed herself to become the woman God wanted her to be, we can too.

Let’s face it, life is hectic. But Nicki shows us how to stay open to the movement of God and move forward with life and our commitments and projects in faith.

“Sometimes quitting appears to have no effect until we wake the time to reflect.” – Nicki Koziarz

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