Are You Willing to Pay the Price?

Have you ever fallen in love with a pair of shoes that, as soon as you see them, you want them? I think we all have been there. But what happens when they are so pricey that you cannot afford them? Most of the time, when you want something that badly, you work hard to obtain it. You do everything to achieve the prize, even if it is hard or implies sacrifice. Then, why is it so hard to do the same in our spiritual life?

We see what we want, but we are not willing to pay the price; we do not want to make sacrifices or let go of things to grow spiritually. As human beings, we need to have certain things to consider ourselves fortunate people. Things like money, a house, a family, love, certain commodities, a car, clothes, friends, and a good job, among other things, are what we are constantly seeking. We spend our lives searching to fulfill a void that only Jesus Christ can fill. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself. Ephesians 1:23.

We ask God for everything we want, but we are not willing to let go of things and give Him complete control of our lives. We do not want to make sacrifices, yet we demand things as if God owes us something, when on the contrary, we are the ones that owe everything to Him. He paid the price with blood; thanks to His sacrifice, we can enjoy eternal life. God redeemed us, and the cost was His son's life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16. There is no more significant sacrifice than this, yet we whine and make a fuss when we have to do something in our spiritual life. We have a hard time reading the Bible, praying, going to church, listening to a sermon, talking to others about God, giving up sin, and avoiding temptations, but easy to make sacrifices and take action in other areas of our life.

Following Jesus and obeying His precepts does not have to be a sacrifice; it is the least we can do to show gratefulness. We should do it with a joyful heart, and as we do with other things, we should work hard to achieve spiritual growth and wisdom. Let us pray to God for the courage to take new steps in our spiritual life. May He strengthen us by giving us the tools to combat idleness and laziness and help us fight tirelessly and perseveringly for our salvation. Remember, the price we have to pay does not compare to the price He already paid on the cross.