For so many of us our whole life revolves around “me,” “mine,” and “my.” We need to learn to prefer others and give ourselves away and be selfless.
God is looking for people who will show an ultimate sign of maturity by going overseas and giving themselves away. He wants people who will step out of their own culture to give the Gospel away.
No longer do you consider just your own preferences, but you are giving away your time, your whole summer to go on a mission trip.
Give up your bed and sleep on a harder bed. Give up your room and sleep in someone else’s room. Give up your food preferences and eat the food of another culture. Give yourself away, give your money away, give up your comfort, all so other people can hear the Gospel.
You might not seem to be benefiting from giving yourself away, but other people will get eternal salvation. The fact is, God will bless you, and ultimately you will benefit. One time when Jesus was talking about this the disciples said, But Lord, we have given up our families and our homes and everything (Mark 10:28-30).
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.”
Jesus is saying, “Listen, I’m the one give the most here.” When you start giving up your home, your family, your comfort you are not going to get anything but blessed.
God gets so excited when He sees you giving your life away selflessly that He blesses you back with family, homes, material things, spiritual things, and more. He’s looking for people to do what seems like the illogical thing—to give up everything—because those are the people He knows He can trust with everything.
When you do that, He will totally bless you and blow you away.
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Ron Luce was the co-founder and president of Teen Mania Ministries from 1986-2015. Ron and his wife Katie dreamed to raise young people who would change the world.
Ron received his bachelor's degree in Psychology and Theology from Oral Roberts University and his master's in Counseling Psychology from the University of Tulsa, along with an honorary doctorate from Jerry Falwell of Liberty University. He is a sought-after speaker who has traveled to more than 60 countries and has made numerous media appearances, such as Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family radio broadcast, CNN, The O'Reilly Factor, ABC Nightline, The 700 Club, Trinity Broadcasting Network, and the Sean Hannity Show. Ron has also written 35 books for teens, youth pastors, and parents and continues to speak at leaders' conferences helping parents and pastors understand the plight of today's youth and showing them how all of us can be part of the solution.
Ron and Katie currently live in Garden Valley, Texas, with their son Cameron. They have two daughters, Hannah and Charity.