What Do I Get Out of This?

Matthew 19:27

Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?

Jesus spent much time trying to get Peter out of Peter. What I mean by this statement is that Peter was filled with himself and selfish desires, and Christ could not do in his life what He wanted to do until his self-centeredness and materialistic thinking were removed from his life.

When Jesus encountered a rich young man, this young man asked Him what good thing he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus knew there were no works any man could do to get eternal life, but He went to the Scriptures and told this young man to keep all the commandments. Jesus knew the purpose of the law was to show an individual that they are a sinner. When this young man responded that he had kept all the law, Jesus then told him to sell all that he had and follow Him. This young man walked away because he thought he could buy his way into Heaven. Jesus used this opportunity to teach how hard it was for a rich person to get saved because of their wealth, but He also reminded us that He was still able to save these people.

Peter’s response to Jesus’ conversation was that he said they had forsaken all for Christ, and then he asked, what shall we have therefore? Peter was more concerned with what he could have than what he did have, and what he had was the presence of Christ. Peter’s worldly and fleshly mindset kept him from truly knowing what he had with the presence of Christ. Peter would have never said this statement had he realized the presence of Christ in his life was of more value than anything the world has to offer.

If all the believer has in their life is the presence of Christ, they have the greatest possession of all. Philippians 4:19 promises, But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. The need of the believer is Christ; Christ is your need. In Christ is where you find peace, joy, and a daily supply of your need. The richest person in the world is the person who realizes they have no need because all of their needs have been supplied through Christ.

If you are serving God to see what He will give you out of that, you will eventually stop serving Him because what He blesses you with will never be enough. The problem with being materialistic-focused is that what God gives you will never be enough. The reason so many quit serving God is not because He has not blessed them, but because they were not satisfied with what He blessed them with; they were focused on the blessing and not the Blessor. You see, too many people start serving God with the expectation that He will give them everything they want, and when God chooses not to give them their wants, they back up and stop serving Him.

My friend, the best day of your life other than salvation will be the day when you realize you have the greatest thing a person could ever have in their life, the presence of Christ. There is no greater blessing than to have the presence of Christ in your life. Every need you will face in life is met through Christ. You will always be satisfied in life if you focus on the presence of Christ instead of on the blessings that He will give you if you serve Him. However, if your focus is on the blessings that Christ has given you for serving Him instead of being focused on Him, you will become dissatisfied with serving God. Stay focused on Christ, and you will see that you have the greatest possession of all, the presence of Christ.