The Price to Pay
2 Timothy 2:22 Stay away from the evil things a young person like you typically wants to do. Do your best to live right and to have faith, love, and peace, together with others who trust in the Lord with pure hearts.
The longer we hang on to our sin, the worse things get. You can’t dress it up any other way. And yet, still we want to hang on to our sin for dear life, even though we know that eventually it’ll kill us.
Many years ago, I was addicted to cigarettes. Now, I knew that smoking would eventually kill me but I was seriously addicted. Until one day I watched someone die of lung cancer. I walked out of the hospital room where her dead body lay and I never smoked again.
Giving up wasn’t easy, mind you. It took about three years for the strong cravings to subside and still today, every now and then, I could have a smoke. There was a price to pay, but it was worth it.
And, no doubt, that price to pay is one of the reasons so many people give Jesus a miss. Sure, they believe that He is who He says He is. But the thinking goes something like this: “If I give my life to Jesus, then I’ll have to give up some of this stuff that I’m addicted to. And I don’t want to give it up, even though I know that eventually it’s going to kill me.”
If that’s you, then today … today is a wakeup call. Giving up smoking is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do. But the benefits – my health, longer life, extra money – have far outweighed the cost.
2 Timothy 2:22 Stay away from the evil things a young person like you typically wants to do. Do your best to live right and to have faith, love, and peace, together with others who trust in the Lord with pure hearts.
Sure, there’s a price to pay – there always is for anything worthwhile.
Jesus. He’s definitely worth it.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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