Monday, May 29, 2023
A purposeful life requires sacrifice.
This weekend, Seth Oswald shared about the faith-filled life of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German pastor and theologian during the early 20th century. Bonhoeffer’s life was marked by service and sacrifice, as he followed Christ and lived out his purpose in preaching and acting against the Nazi regime.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer chose to give up his own plan for God’s plan, in spite of how it would inconvenience him. He decided he did not need the approval of people at the expense of the mission for which God had purposefully created him. Bonhoeffer also sacrificed his comfort—instead of staying in America during the height of World War II, he chose to return to Germany. There, he worked to spread the Gospel, fight back against evil, and stand up for the Jewish men and women who were being oppressed, tortured, and killed.
In his book, The Cost of Discipleship, Bonhoeffer wrote—“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die”—meaning, if we want to be a Christ-follower, we must be willing to give up anything and everything for him, and follow him at all costs. For Bonhoeffer, that even meant losing his life because of his faith in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 16:24-26
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. 25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
Jesus made it clear: A life of purpose is worth more than gaining anything in the world. And a purposeful life requires us to sacrifice our comfort, our plans, and our need for approval to fully follow Jesus wherever he leads.
Questions:
Where is Jesus inviting you to give up your plans for his?
Where is Jesus asking you to surrender your comfort and step into the unknown?
Next Steps:
Consider joining a Mission Trip next year: https://cedarcreek.tv/mission-trips/
Consider serving with your campus on Serve Day, July 22!
Prayer:
God, I thank you for the example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his faith. Help me see what gets in the way of me fully following you. Give me the courage to sacrifice what I need to so that I can live the purpose-filled life you have called me to. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Series Theme Verse:
Luke 8:15
And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest.