The Cost For Greatness

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Every benefit comes with a cost, even if it is an inheritance received, someone had sacrifice time and energy to make this a possibility. It is said that anything that comes too easy is not good. The cost for greatness is good and it never comes easy. As consumers we know that when the price of products are too cheap generally something is wrong. Either the business has gone into bankruptcy, the market value has gone down or the items are stolen or received from an illegal source.

The Best Things Comes Cost

Good things are hard to come by, for example gold which must be searched out thoroughly then unearthed and go through the process of purification to remove the impurities. The best foods for our health are hard to come by, they are rare and very expensive. In fact to eat healthy comes with a huge cost. Very nice quality clothing can also be rare and expensive.

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The Cost For Greatness Is Paid By Obedience

Great things from God come with a cost. When Jesus gave His life for our sins it was the ultimate sacrifice anyone could make. Christ step down form His divinity and fashioned Himself in human form born through a womb to achieve His purpose. He had to suffer somethings to become the ultimate sacrifice. He was without sin, yet he suffered like a sinner to save us.

Paying The Cost For Greatness Through Sacrifice

The nation of Israel fell into sin and David who had the understanding that great things from God comes with sacrifices. In 2 Samuel 24 God was angry with Israel, and David as a leader took responsibility and repented but the severity of the sin was heavy. God then sent the prophet called Gad to David to make one of three choices. Either choose seven years famine in the land, be chased three months by his enemies or have three days pestilence in the land. David’s response to the prophet was the choice to fall into the hands of God because the mercies of God are great. God began to send pestilence upon the land. We see in book of 2 Samuel 24: 15 “So the Lord sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed: and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men” Here we see how sin caused mass destruction.

Humility Is A Cost For Greatness

David prayed and told the Lord to let the punishment be upon him and and his father’s house. The prophet Gad came and told David to raise an altar unto the Lord. David then went to Araunah to buy the threshing floor to sacrifice unto the Lord. Araunah with respect for David the king wanted to give David the threshing floor but David refuse to take it. The severity of the sin and to receive great mercy come with a cost. David refused a fee gift and decided that he will pay, because every good thing comes with a cost. In 2 Samuel 24: 24 David “the king said unto Araunah, Nay: but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing”. So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekles of silver.

The Cost For Greatness Brings Transformation

Saul who was persecuting the church was a man of great achievement. He was among the religious elites who was well trained in the law. His passion for what he believed in brought admiration and respect. His encounter with Jesus Christ on Damascus road gave him the realization that he was on the wrong path. Coming in contact with Jesus and received a change life Paul expressed in Philippians 3: 10 “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” Paul realized that his knowledge and achievements were futile. He now realized that to gain or win Christ comes with a cost.

Experiencing Greatness

Paul continue to say in Philippians 3: 14 “I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus’ This wasn’t an easy achievement it comes with a cost and there is no shortcut to receive it. Later Paul by his experience told young Timothy in 2 Timothy 2: 5 “And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully” To achieve this comes with the sacrifice of total obedience, submission to the Holy Spirit, a fervent prayer life, searching of the scripture and dying to the flesh. Paul also encouraged Timothy in the verse 3 and 4 of 2 Timothy 2 “Thou therefore endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No man that warreth entangleth himself in the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be as soldier” This is a sacrifice Timothy had to make if he want to be great in the things of God.

No Price Is Too High

While paying the cost for greatness there will be resistance and oppositions, but we have to maintain the standard of righteousness. This can cost you your marriage, you can experience loneliness, you can face rejection from family members, friends and even the church you attend. Peter encouraged us in 1 Peter 3: 14 “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled” The experience will be rough but the end of a thing is better than the beginning thereof.

May we in this new decade beginning this January 2020 rise to the challenge. There will be a cost for greatness. Let us differ not from paying it, so we can receive our crown of life. Many have been killed for the gospel and the sacrifice is worth the price

Happy Jesus filled New Year to my blog family, supporters and those who continue to encourage my blogging,

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8 thoughts on “The Cost For Greatness”

  1. Thanks Maurice! Following Christ wholeheartedly definitely comes at a price. Knowing He is with us and will help us makes a difference. It gives us hope. This was encouraging! Thanks again.

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  2. Thanks Maurice for those words. In this day and age people are standing up for their rights but not for what is right in the eyes of the Lord. Good things do come at a cost but we have hope as Jesus paid the ultimate price for us.

    Reply

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