The Welcome Valley Reader

 Everything I Didn’t Have

            Part of a song is running through my mind this morning. The title of the song is “Everything.” I heard “Everything” on a Christian video. The movie is mostly pictures of the Holy Land with a really good tenor singing in the background. His last song asks what the Lord requires and answers with the word, everything. The song goes on to talk about all that I am and all that I own or some such.

             It’s true. God does expect us to let Him control every aspect of our lives. He wants us to recognize His right to decide about our property, our actions, even our thoughts. Until we do, we’ll never know His complete blessing or experience the joy that goes with a life wrapped up in Him. It’s something many of us know. It’s also an area where most of us probably fail more often than we’re willing to admit.

             But that isn’t how the question is playing out this morning. I’m thinking eternally. What is eternal life worth? Is it worth everything? Think about death. Think about Hell. Such thoughts bring to mind the day a school bully was chasing me. He grabbed my jacket. I slipped out of my jacket and kept running. I was willing to pay about any price if only I could make it safely home.  When making it safely home means making it to Heaven, there is no price I wouldn’t be willing to pay.

             That price leads to a problem. When I wanted eternal life I couldn’t give everything. The devil already had a claim on me, and he wouldn’t let me give it all. I could maybe give God the right to what property I owned, but that was about it. I didn’t have the ability to control my soul. My thoughts were beyond my control too. I couldn’t give control I didn’t posses over to Him. It cost everything, and I didn’t have everything to give. That is what it means to be dead in trespasses and sins. It’s also what it means to be lost.

             Everything is what my eternal life cost, and I didn’t pay it. Jesus gave everything. His property? He came from Heaven to live as one who had no place to lay His head. Even the clothes off His back were gambled away in front of the cross. Control of His thoughts? He was sinless, which means even His thoughts had to meet with God’s approval. His soul? “Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”. He gave everything.

 And now, as a free gift, I have eternal life. It cost everything, and I didn’t have everything. But I still possess eternal life. Jesus paid everything when I couldn’t.

 Does He deserve everything I can give now in response? Need you ask?

To learn how to receive eternal life as a free gift, click here: How to Have a Relationship with God

 To read about how to receive eternal life as a free gift in easy English, click here: Jesus and You

This essay is in the public domain and may be copied and distributed freely.                                                                

How to Have a Relationship with God

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