The Kingdom - How valuable is it to you?

What items do you posses that have great value? A house, a car, or maybe a autographed jersey or baseball? To what lengths would you, or do you, go to protect them from damage, loss, or theft? 

Jesus used parables, stories, to illustrate his teachings and help us to understand them. In the first year and a half of ministry his stories focused mostly on a new day approaching, the old religious system was passing away and a new system was approaching. In his middle and especially later part of ministry however, the stories shifted and focused more on illustrating the Kingdom itself and it's great value, more precious than silver and gold. It was here that many turned away as they felt the cost too high. Salvation comes through faith in Christ and by grace alone, as a gift. The parables or stories portray a fruit, or out-working of salvation. 

The cost of salvation is transferring the ownership of all that you have to all that Christ is. Your thoughts are now His, your dreams are now His, your desires are now His, your passions are now His, your property is now His, your time is now His. He often allows you to keep physical possession of many things but as a steward, a caretaker. 

Here's the really cool part...Surrender is also a great exchange. Jesus takes your desire for sin and replaces it with a desire for righteousness, He takes your fear and gives you faith, He takes your anger and hatred and gives you love. The list is endless. 

Are you like the early followers that believed in the miracles at first but when Jesus started to unfold His plan, purpose, and the cost of discipleship decided it was too much to ask of them and walked away.  God had offered the Kingdom to His people; they had rejected it because they failed to perceive its value; and therefore they would suffer great loss.

Have you weighed the cost? Have you honestly seen the value of the Kingdom of God (which is God Himself) Have you simply followed the idea of Christ, or have you surrendered all that is yours, to all that He is? 

Is the Kingdom of God more valuable to you than anything else? We go to great lengths to protect what is valuable to us. What are you doing if anything to protect your walk with Christ and the things eternal? Is it more than you do to protect your physical assests? If it's not, then your heart has just disclosed where you treasure lies, go to God in confession and repentance as He is quick to forgive and as you seek Him He will increase your love for the things He loves, and for Himself. 

For further study dig into the parable teachings of Christ as found in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.