Following Jesus is the biggest gamble anyone can make. I’m literally gambling with my life.

If I’m wrong about Jesus, I will have squandered the one and only life I will ever have on things like philanthropy, volunteering, and kindness. Instead of using my limited time and resources to enjoy myself and to ensure comfort, luxury, and pleasure, it will be wasted on reading ancient texts, sitting on hard pews listening to people talk about those old texts, and praying to someone who doesn’t exist.

On the other hand, if what Jesus says is true, my sacrifices will all be worthwhile. This life will just be an uncomfortable and confusing, but relatively brief, blip in an otherwise everlasting and beautiful existence with God.

It’s an enormous risk. It takes complete faith. You can’t hedge your bets. It’s all or nothing with God.

Then [Jesus] said to them all, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me will save it.”
‭‭Luke‬ ‭9‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭CSB‬‬

It’s a wonder anyone takes this huge risk by giving their life away. The one life they can see, hear, and feel. In exchange for a life that is a future, glimmering promise…

I know the secret — the answer to the why.

When I started down the road of gambling my life away, I discovered it’s not a completely blind faith. God reveals Himself along the way. Each time I reach out to Him, He reaches back to me with two strong hands. Each time I take one tentative step toward Him, He takes five confident bounds forward with me in His arms.

The time I spend here is leading up to that beautiful new life, preparing the way, teaching me about the God who loves me and wants to spend eternity with me. And every moment I spend close to God now, obeying Him, listening for His voice makes the time here less uncomfortable and less confusing.

And after some time, following Jesus doesn’t feel like a risk at all. In fact, it seems like a very sure bet.

Dear God,

Thank you for revealing yourself to me when I turn toward you, listen for you, look for you, and reach out to you. I need your reassurance so badly. Forgive the doubts that nag at me daily. I am so grateful for your revelations and reminders of your ever-present love. I have joyfully put all my chips on you.