Sometimes as Christians we are called to give up certain things in life because of our beliefs. For one girl it may be choosing to obey her parent's wishes and missing the prom. For another, it may be not wearing certain clothes her friends find faddish and chic; for still another boy it may mean not getting his driver's license for a few months to help out on the insurance costs so Christian school tuition can be paid.
I'm sure most Christian teenagers have been asked not to attend an event; not to read a certain book; not to watch a popular television show by parents who have deep convictions in regard to these matters. Have you ever been asked to "give up something" for the cause of Christ? Sometimes it does cost us to follow Christ. It may be a relationship our 'mentors' think is not right for us. It may be an event or activity that is questionable in nature. It might be a video game left unpurchased, or a movie title left unrented. Sometimes the sacrifice may seem quite small; while other times it is a 'once-in-a-lifetime' event, the sacrifice may seem too big to bear.
We are not all asked to be martyrs for our faith. Some missionaries are. Some teenagers are. Yet we can all take comfort in the Scriptures that tell us our reward will be 100 times greater than any sacrifice we have had to make. No matter what we are asked to give up for the cause of Christ, our reward will compensate us a hundred-fold. That would be an excellent return on stocks on Wall Street. How much better to lay up your 'treasures' in heaven where they really count.
