Previous Challenge Entry (Level 2 – Intermediate)
Topic: Favoritism (02/28/05)
-
TITLE: Are You Willing To Pay The Price? | Previous Challenge Entry
By Deline Tan
03/04/05 -
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
ADD TO MY FAVORITES
The price is so costly for Joseph that his brothers wanted to kill him. They wanted to get rid of him because of his bigheaded talk that they will have to bow down to him because of the dream that Joseph told them. “There we were, binding sheaves in the field. Then behold, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and indeed your sheaves stood all around and bowed down to my sheaf.” Genesis 37:7 (NKJ). This angered the brothers greatly that they threw him off to a pit and then sold him off to the Ishmaelites. Genesis 37:24-28.
It was painful for Joseph to be treated thus by his 11 brothers, much more when he realized that he had a destiny from God for something great in his future. Does favoritism caused such a big price in your life? We see today that as God ‘favored’ those whom He had called for ministry, their immediate family and friends are more often than not persecuting them. To truly serve God is hard. With the favor of God upon them, they pay a high price to reach their level of destiny in their ministry.
One of the examples was an early pioneer missionary, James Fraser, who was send to the Lishu tribe in China. He faced tremendous trials and difficulties while in that village. The enemy stronghold was so great that he couldn’t pray alone. He had to request his fellow members of his church back home to join him in strategic prayer in order to reach the Lishu tribe. He paid a very high price as he suffered loneliness, hunger and thirst, lack of finances, and the rejection from the people in that tribe. He almost gave up, if not for his persistent time with the Lord to pull through.
One of the ways that the enemy attacked a favorite child of God is through people. Those who have a high calling in their lives will testify that they have to go through great difficulties and persecution to see their ministry fulfilled. They faced tremendous rejection and ostracism. Those who are willing to pay the price usually are used mightily by God in ministry.
Are we willing to pay the price that these people had, and what is our respond if we are highly favored by God to serve Him? Will we run away from our call, or will we stick to it and pay the price? You can be assured that the price is painful yet very rewarding for the Kingdom of God.
What are some of the things that keep people away from serving God? More often than not it is the desire to want to do their own thing instead of submitting themselves to the plans of God. Many run away from their calling because they are not prepared to pay the high price. Jesus paid for it for His crucifixion. Joseph paid for it because he was faithful to his high calling. Daniel stuck it out because of his excellent spirit. Jeremiah is willing to weep for his people day and night because he fulfilled God’s call in his life.
What are we sticking it out for in our lives? Comfort? Blessings? Materialism? Mammon? Or a sold-out life for Christ? The price is high and if anyone is willing to pay for it, it is worth dying for the cause of Christ.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
If you died today, are you absolutely certain that you would go to heaven? You can be right now. CLICK HERE
JOIN US at FaithWriters for Free. Grow as a Writer and Spread the Gospel.
Nice entry - I enjoyed it.