When we hear hard sayings of Jesus, we might easily conclude that the dominant characteristics of a disciple's life are sacrifice and self-denial. After all, His words are strong. Hate your life? Take up your cross? Deny yourself?
But this summary would not be consistent with the fact that a life of unconditional surrender to Jesus is the happiest possible one in existence.
When we hear the lavish promises of Jesus, we might easily conclude that the means of experiencing them are the ones that naturally spring to our mind. With such words, how could He mean less than for our dreams of happiness to come true? That girl, that house, that job... His promises are extreme: Abundant life. Fullness of joy. One hundred times as much as we leave lose or leave for Him.
But the path to our highest happiness in this life and eternity is not the one that naturally comes to mind. A road without sacrifice or suffering is a far cry from the one that Jesus charted for us.
Our natural vision toward happiness may need to give way to something else--something better--His vision. It is the very path of self-denial, daily cross-bearing, and losing our life that is the road of greatest reward. The sacrifice of absolute surrender to Christ's call is actually your consent to His invitation to your greatest joy. Because you get Him. Submission to His will is the context for experiencing Christ's presence to the fullest, of soul-satisfying intimacy with Him, of walking with Him in the adventure of whatever part He has called you to play in His cosmic story, along with fellow followers. Clinging to your life is loss. Losing your life is gain. Self-denial in obedience to Jesus is an exchange for incomparable joy.
The answer to the paradox of sacrifice and extravagant promise is a Person. Jesus' promise is that we will come to find Him one hundred times more satisfying than anything we must leave or lose for Him (Mark 10:29-30). But I think He may be being rather modest.
"More than that I count all things to be loss compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ..." Philippians 3:8
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