What are You Willing to Give Up?

Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

You have probably heard this verse many times in your life, and never really thought anything of it. Or, if you have thought about it, you're not really sure what it looks like to "take up your cross" and follow Jesus.
As Americans, we are among the richest people in the world. Sure, there are times when we don't feel rich, but trust me, we are. Most of us have a house to live in, at least one TV in that house, at least one computer, maybe a video game console or two, cell phones, one or two cars per household...you get the idea. We have it all. We live in a society which tells us, "He who dies with the most toys, wins." But think about that statement for a moment. When you die, are you taking your toys with you? Will your toys even matter to you once you're dead? Sure, it will give people some nice things to say at your funeral, and you may be remembered well, but what does it all really count for? So what's more important to you - how many "toys" you have, or where you will be going when you die?
Friends, there is no "toy" on this earth that is greater than what God has to offer us. God is offering us an eternity in heaven with him, and salvation from the fires of hell. So, I ask you, what are you willing to give up to follow him?
If I were to ask some of my youth group students, I might ask if they are willing to give up their cell phones, or maybe their Facebook account. I have a feeling that most of them would be hesitant to give those up. Are you willing to give up watching TV, or watching movies? Are you willing to give up the things that other people in the world would consider luxuries? Making the decision to follow God is probably the most important decision you could ever make, and if you haven't made it yet, I encourage you to do so.
Matthew 13:44-46 talks about the Kingdom of Heaven being like a hidden treasure, or a valuable pearl. When the person in the story found it, he sold everything he had just so he could have the treasure, or the pearl. That is because the treasure is so valuable, so precious, that there is nothing on earth that could compare to it. As I mentioned in my previous blog post, there are many things that take our time away from God. But God is saying that we must give up those things in order to follow him. Are you willing to do whatever it takes to follow God, even if it meant giving up some or all of things you love?
I know I have a hard time committing to that. We are creatures of habit and comfort. We don't like to do things that are outside of our comfort zone. But God wants us to step out of our comfort zone. He wants us to take up our crosses daily and follow him. Are you willing to do that? Do you believe today that the Kingdom of Heaven is like the greatest and most valuable treasure you could ever find, and are you willing to sacrifice everything to have it? You can't take anything with you when you die except your soul. So, is your soul destined to spend eternity with God in heaven, or are you doomed to spend eternity in hell, forever separated from God?