Forsaking All

WEEKLY DEVOTIONAL BY PATRICE TSAGUE

Are you operating your business based on biblical principles and the recognition that your business is God’s business or from a place of obligation?
Have you really given up everything for Christ? 
If not, what are you holding back from the Lord?

Forsaking All

There is a difference between doing things for God, letting God do things through you, seeing Him as Savior, and seeing Him as Lord. In Luke 5, Jesus stepped into the boat of Peter the fisherman to preach the Gospel. Once He had completed His message, Jesus turned to Peter and gave him some fishing tips. He knew that Peter had been fishing all night, but had caught nothing. Peter had no way of knowing that the advice Jesus offered would produce the greatest one-time fishing harvest that Peter and the brothers James and John (his business partners) had ever experienced. 

Profoundly moved by this experience, Peter realized that the man Jesus was actually the promised Messiah. He dropped to his knees and called Him LORD. Jesus reassured Peter and told him that he would now be “fishing for people”, and not for fish. 

When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!” For he and all his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken,  and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon’s partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.” – Luke 5:8-10

Then we read in Verse 11 that “they forsook all to follow Him.” 

Have you had an encounter with your Savior, that has caused you to lay down or forsake all else, and to make Jesus the undisputed LORD of your life and business? 

There is a story told in Matthew 19:16-22 that stands in stark contrast to Peter, James, and John’s response.

A rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked Him what he must do to obtain eternal life. Jesus’ response was that the man must obey the commandments of God. The rich young ruler responded by saying that he had done so from his youth. 

Jesus replied,

“If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth. Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven.  Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”

Jesus instructed the rich young ruler to forsake his wealth, which was his life, by giving it to the poor, as a prerequisite to following Him. But the young man could not do it, because he felt as though he had too much to lose.

It is easy for us to think that once we complete a Biblical Entrepreneurship class and put on the “Kingdom business” label, we will suddenly become “right with God” and receive His full blessing. However, God is looking for more than just labels and acquired knowledge. He is looking for us to surrender our all for His sake, and to follow Him wholeheartedly. 

He wants us to let Him “take the wheel” of our life and business. Like the rich young ruler, you may have done all that is required to receive eternal life according to the letter of the law, since you committed your life and business to Him. But what is the state of your heart? Have you truly and humbly surrendered every area of your life and business to Him? Evaluate yourself and your business today, and ask the Lord to show you those areas of your life that you still need to lay down before Him.

My prayer for you today is that God will give you the grace to forsake all and follow Him through your life and business, making Him, as well as your Savior, the LORD of all.