And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:29, ESV).
Holly is finishing up the packing downstairs. I feel like I’ve been here before. If you’ve ever had to move, you know the “it’s never going to end and it’s not going to fit” feeling, except that this is different because we have to fit everything into eight suitcases, four carry-ons, and four personal items, instead of a moving truck. I’ve already filled a huge garbage bag with clothes and other things that will be going to Goodwill. In fact, I’m getting rid of some of my favorite shirts (never mind I’ve owned some of them for 10 years).
Holly is a little discouraged by this lack of space, which I understand. How did we fit our things from Colombia for our trip last year, but they aren’t fitting on the way back? Of course, we accumulated things. We’ve tried to buy ahead on some of the kids’ clothes (they’re cheaper here than in Colombia). We’ve bought some new books and a new year of homeschool curriculum, and a used Mac off of ebay.
As my tired brain thinks about this, it makes me realize how many things we really have. How many shirts do I really need? How many people in Haiti would love to have just a fraction of the food we had in our cupboards in our apartment?
When that sinking feeling of having to leave people, places and things behind begins to surge in my heart, I remember what Jesus did.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5-8, ESV).
As many have aptly said, the gospel is the key to the Christian life. God saves us through the gospel, but he also enables us to please him through the same gospel. When we worry about leaving something behind to follow Christ, we need to remember what Christ himself did. He left all of the privileges that he enjoyed and humbled himself to glorify his Father and serve us.
Okay, so leaving some clothes or books behind isn’t even a sacrifice in comparison. It’s a privilege and a joy.
Photo courtesy of majorbrighton on Flickr
