Opportunity Cost
Galatians 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Opportunity Cost is the loss of other alternatives when one alternative is chosen. It is overlooking on the profit of other choices while sticking with a choice you think is the best.
As a believer In Christ who has chosen Christ as Lord and personal saviour, there must be opportunity Cost, choosing Christ must cost you something, it must take away some things from you. The life you live before may condone everything around you, but being in Christ, so many things must leave your life while some others things takes their place.
The life of Abraham was an example to learn from.
God told him to leave His father's house, and go to a place He will show Him. This was a greatest and shocking command anyone would receive and very difficult to obey.
Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:
How can He leave His father's house, wealth, inheritance, business connections, kinsmen, His reputation in the city to a place he has no idea? He would have been called a stupid man to have trusted the God he has never seen before.
But Abraham considered everything he's leaving behind as opportunity Cost while following the direction of the living God.
Another example to learn from in the scripture is the calling of prophet Elisha into the full time ministry.
1 Kings 19:19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.
Elisha had a job, a farmer who specializes in livestock, who has about twelve employees, he was never a lazy man befor Elijah came to Him, after the call, He had to leave all, His business, workers, inheritance in his family, left his family to go into the full time ministry... The decision must have been the most difficult for anyone to make, but all He left behind are opportunity cost for choosing God.
In like manner is anyone who will chose Christ has Lord and personal saviour must lose some things for the sake of Christ.
James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Choosing Christ must cost you something, it must cost you your hold life, the life of sin. While you incline with the new nature of the living God made available in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.
After you must have declared your loyalty and totality to God, then your old nature of sin must not be seen in you anymore, the works of the flesh must never have its place in your life anymore. The works of flesh which are... Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envying, murders, drunkenness, revellings among others.
What has your new life in Christ cost you?,
For many it will cost them some profits in business which was made through dubious means, for others it will cost them separation with worldly friends.
Others, it will cost them their choice of career, choice in marriage, the pleasures of the world, desires of the flesh, some others it will cost them separation from their families etc, but at the end, it will be blessing
Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Jesus told His disciples that cost of following Him, anyone who desires to follow Him must deny himself, self will, desires and wants. Take up the cross, the cross of God's will which may negate man's understanding, the cross of pain, reproach and persecution, then follow Christ to wherever He leads By through His spirit.
Opportunity Cost in serving God may be painful to leave behind, but you will gain more if you steadfastly follow Christ in humility, faith and trust.
If being in Christ has not cost you anything, you are not in Christ.
God bless you.
Prayer key:
1. Lord, thank you for the blessing of today in Jesus Christ name.
2. Lord, help me to overlook the gain of this world in place of your kingdom in Jesus Christ name.
3. Give me the grace to faithfully deny myself, carry my cross and follow you in Jesus Christ name.
4. Thank you Lord for answered prayers in Jesus Christ name. Amen.