I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.

Luke 12:4

Life is more important than food, and the body more than clothes, Jesus said (Matthew 6:25).  If we can trust Him with Eternity, we can trust Him with our lives here on this Earth.

The ultimate thing in this life we can seek is Him.  The highest goal in all of Eternity is His face. We know, that if we lose everything else we have here, we still have Him.  And, if we die seeking Him, we die in Faith, and that is okay.Once all else has been settled, this really comes fairly quickly springing from the rest.  Just as the sprout produces the stalk and the stalk produces the leaves, if we have left everything to follow (Luke 14:33), and if we have hated this earthly life (Luke 14:26), knowing that we are not left orphans but have been given the Holy Spirit (John 14:18), what else is there but to trust Him the rest of the way?

And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.

Revelation 12:11

We cannot add any amount of time to our life (Matthew 6:27).

What is the thing that stops us?  What is the thing that catches our eye?  In the words of Jesus to Peter, “Why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31).

For the person in faith, needing to hear and rely on the Spirit, little can be more debilitating than excessive anxiety, fear, and uncertainty.  But, as the flowers grow in the field, it is the Father that clothes them.  And, He will clothe us.  As the birds are fed every day at the proper time, so will He feed us.

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:33

The word for “given” means to be annexed, added, given, joined, gathered, and the like.  The concept is to be added without any effort of your own.

If you cannot add any bit to your life, you know your basic needs will be met, and if you die, you do not die by happenstance, but in the full knowledge of the Lord, what else is there to life?

There are things that would be of concern to the person living for this world, or for the things of this life, or in the flesh.  But, for someone who’s father is God, who’s older brother is Jesus, and who’s house will never burn down, what else is there to life?  This is the life Jesus advocated.  And, while some of us have an earlier bedtime than others (1 Thessalonians 4:14), we do not mourn as those with no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).

If you follow with the understanding, then martyrdom is just a righteous excuse to go Home from work early.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.

Psalm 116:9

Whether our dying is physical or figurative, in the emotional, financial, or social realms, we can be assured that just as no sparrow falls to the ground without God’s knowledge (Matthew 10:29).  He is aware of your pain, your isolation, your desperation, and destitution.  He is aware of the high cost.

There is one thing for certain.  God will not be mocked.  What you have sown, for good or for ill, you will reap except for His mercy.  What if you gave all you had to such a degree, so that, at the end of all your giving, there was left no space left in this life for God to pay you sufficiently back?  Do you think God could possibly still be mocked?

Even Jesus, giving His last, following the guidance of the Spirit, spent His whole being, laid his entire, perfectly righteous, perfectly anointed life down.  He could have taken the crown with His gifting!  He could have overthrown the entire world, let alone Babylon.  But, His throne is founded upon righteousness and justice, and His perfect plan required a redeemer so that the world, those who would believe, might be with Him.

If we could trust the simple words that ‘all God’s commands lead to life’ (John 12:50), we could trust Him whether we went to either great fame or infamy.  In the end, they are all the dross of this life, and only try blind us to the true treasure, the Father, the heart of Jesus, perfect for us.  Perfect in us.  Perfect over us.

Better to look death in the face and say, “Come on”, than to be of those who shrink back.  Than to be of those who try to save their life.

Jesus’ words are as plain as they are Eternal.  He who tries to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for Him and His gospel will save it.  If it costs you everything, it is still worth it.  God has Eternity to pay you back, and nothing else will ever matter compared to His great passion over your soul.

Your life is precious, and your death is precious.  It is never a waste to lay down your life.  The great focus of our heart, instead of fretting, should be the one thing that matters, living by the Spirit, being filled with His love, and being overflowing in thankfulness.