gain loss“Courageous decisions are not about what you gain or lose, but about what you value most.” – Chuck Kelley. Jesus said it this way in Mt 6:21, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Whatever our heart treasures is what will drive our decisions. If we value the name and reputation of Christ more than our own, we will choose to be defrauded (1 Cor 6:7). If we value eternal rewards more than temporal ones, we will “Let goods and kindred go… this mortal life also. The body they may kill… His truth abideth still. His Kingdom is forever!” Every decision boils down to our evaluation of what we might lose compared to what we might gain. Every time we choose the greatest gain compared to what we will lose. So…

What is more important: Your reputation or Christ’s? Your security or the lost hearing the Gospel? Ease and safety or following God’s call? Having the things of this world or eternal rewards? The approval of men or God saying to you “Well done good and faithful servant?” Being proved right in people’s eyes or God’s smile for doing what is right?

What is gain to you… deep in your heart? What are you afraid to lose? Do the answers to those two questions expose the presence of idols in your life? Know this, God goes after and destroys the “residual idols” in His Children’s life. The pain and hardship Christians endure is not so much Satan attacking as it is God cleaning our heart of barriers to Him (AKA: Idols).

IF we most value God… His approval… honoring Him… and glorifying His name, our decisions become easy. When we value God more than anything or anyone, THAT will drive us to make decisions that confuse the world but make sense to those who love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and body. The fear we feel in making decisions may very well be the Spirit revealing to us an idol we don’t want to let go of. Our hesitation to follow Christ just might be a love for this world that we need to abandon.

Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits himself?”

What do you value most?