analysis.

Taking a trip back to my microeconomics class...this week/weekend has been full of cost benefit analysis. I have had to think about the costs and benefits of every choice. This week I had to choose to study instead of hanging out with my friends. I chose to bond with my roommates over taco soup and the victoria's secret fashion show instead of going to wednesday night service. I chose to not go home for a Christmas party to stay in AU and go to a friend's birthday party and study. In every choice there is an opportunity cost. It is the value of the choice not chosen. I realized that my faith in Jesus Christ has its own set of opportunity costs. When I choose Jesus each day there are things that I am not choosing. I am not choosing the world and the things in it. I am not choosing people. I am not choosing actions. I am not choosing a lot of things. But what is their value? The value of saying yes to Christ is too great for me to even know it all. The other things pale in comparison of having Jesus in every part of my life. I used to focus on the "rules" of being a Christian and I sometimes questioned the opportunity cost. Pastor Chris gave an example that really put it into perspective for me. He was talking about being faithful to his wife. He said if he wakes up every morning and slaps himself on the hand all day thinking "Don't cheat. Don't cheat. Don't cheat" he probably wouldn't cheat but it might end up making him resentful. Or he could wake up every single day and fall in love with his wife. If he falls in love with her all over again everyday, cheating will be the furthest thing from his mind. That struck a chord with me. Our relationship with Jesus us the same. If we focus on all the "do's and do not's" then we're going to become resentful and jealous. However, if we get up everyday and simply fall madly in love with Christ, we won't even desire the things of this world. They will be the furthest thing from our minds. I am so grateful that I serve a living God. One who is real in my life. Not a statue or something I have to abide by specific rules to worship him. I wish more than anything that everyone would come to know this love that I know. It will change your life. It isn't merely an option anymore. It is everything.