“How Much Does Jesus Cost?”

What does it look like to sacrifice for the glory of Jesus? For some of the new friends that our MX3 team met in Spain it meant they walked away from Islam and decided to follow Jesus. It meant more than just leaving a religion. Their families became more distant, and in some cases led to surrendering earthly safety. Even though this cost seemed significant and difficult, declaring their allegiance to Jesus was more important to them. Although their decision to follow Jesus was a struggle, it was clear that God had called them into a relationship with Him.

I know that our team was encouraged and challenged by the stories of these new friends. I cannot speak for everyone who was there, but I know that these stories of faith led to some questions about my own convictions. I often wondered, ‘what does it cost to follow Jesus in our context at home in Canada?’

One of the challenges of the Christian life is that it is hard to balance life in the world (in the context you are in) but to not be of the world (to live a life different than those around you). Throughout our whole time in Spain, I wondered how I, a normal person, could live a life that reflected Christ and gives glory to our God. I do not have an answer as to what this looks like completely. But I do know that I am incredibly grateful for the ways this was modeled for us in Spain by all the amazing people that we met.

I encourage you to pray for new Jesus followers who are living in a Muslim context. It is not easy to leave behind this religion because it is far more than just a set of beliefs, it is a lifestyle, a culture. And I would like you to pray that God would shape your faith not just into a simple set of beliefs that are followed, but a lifestyle that can be truly lived through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, with a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, bringing honour to our Father in Heaven.

Cole Murdock is a 3rd year student who was part of SBC’s Mission Exposure team that recently spent 3 weeks in southern Spain. He attends Emmanual Evangelical Free Church in Steinbach