And this is how I choose to live
As if I’m jumping off a cliff
Knowing that You’ll save me
Knowing that You’ll save me
And after all the stupid things I did
There’s nothing left there to forgive
Because You already forgave me
Yeah You already forgave me
-– Relient K, "Life After Death And Taxes"

How much of your life have you given to Christ?

Fifty percent? Eighty percent? Forty-five percent? Have you given all of it over to Him?

We sing songs in church all the time saying, “I surrender all.” But do we really ever surrender all of ourselves? Sometimes on my very best day, even with good intentions to follow God, I can only honestly say I surrender some.

I’m on my couch right now with my boots kicked up on top of my table thinking about how comfortable I am right now. Today is a generally quiet day even though it was filled with e-mails, phone calls, and all the normal stuff that life brings me. I am really thinking to myself right now about wanting to be more involved with Jesus.

I have always dreamed of being a missionary, working in a monastery, traveling to a third-world country to build churches and reform governments. I dream of these things sometimes because in my whacked out mind, I think that somehow these people are more dedicated to the cause of Christ then I am. I mean I after all, get to prop my feet up, and sip cranberry juice and enjoy the sunshine with no expense to myself or cost of freedom.

How much of my life am I giving over to Christ? Sure I travel on the road a LOT during the year. I serve artists, pray for friends, put my heart and energy on the line for others at awkward times of the evening, but how can I even give more over to Jesus?

It is crazy to think that we are called to leave and give up EVERYTHING to follow Jesus. It seems unorthodox, but we are really called to leave family, friends, occupations, and personal goals and desires to follow Christ.

In the Bible Mark wrote in Mark 10:28-31:

Peter said to him, "We have left everything to follow you!" "I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Yes, it is true we are called to leave everything to follow Jesus. This is a scary thing. God is calling us to abandon ourselves and fall into complete trust and faith in Him. It is like jumping off the cliff, knowing that God will catch us. Wow, is that a terrifying experience?

Choosing to believe in God is one thing, but believing that He really has forgiven us of all our sins, and then stepping out with Him and rearranging our lives to make Him THE priority is jaw-dropping.

Our whole life is a set of choices like we have been talking about. Each day is a fork in the road. Do we follow Christ or do we make our own path in this world?

If this world is not the point, then we need to be preparing ourselves for a lifelong, eternal journey with Jesus in Heaven.

Billy Graham once preached, “Life is a glorious opportunity, if it is used to condition us for eternity. If we fail in this, though we succeed in everything else, our life will have been a failure.”

Our heart should be constantly in check, and aligned with our Maker. We should be giving up the things that the world offers us, in order to solidify and strengthen our relationship with Jesus.

Matthew 6:19-21 says:

Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Is your investment in your heart or in your head? Do you go after the things of this world, or do you put time, effort, and energy into your relationship with Jesus?

So here is the charge today.

Serve your friends more today.

Invest in those who bring you to the Cross. Daily!

Dive in the Bible and constantly discover who Jesus really is.

Have deep conversations and discussions about how to keep ourselves pure.

Challenge one another to grow closer to Jesus.

Confess your sins to one another.

Pray for one another.

Pray that God would break your heart with the things that break His heart.

Are you willing to forfeit your job, relationships, family, friends, desires, hopes and dreams to follow Jesus?

Abraham wanted a son his whole life, and when he finally got what he wanted God asked him to give Isaac back to Him in the form of a sacrifice.

God wants all of you not most of you.

It is scary to jump off the cliff and into the arms of Jesus, but He is ready, able and strong enough to not only catch you, but hold you.

You have to jump to be caught.

And to be caught is worth the fear of jumping.

And this is how I choose to live
As if I’m jumping off a cliff
Knowing that You’ll save me