“"And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life"”
Mark 10: 29 - 30
Discussion
Jesus says to all his disciples, which includes you and I; "I tell you the truth, any man that has left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life!” This should encourage you. Becoming a dedicated disciple of Jesus is not an enrollment into poverty and mediocrity. When you make sacrifices in your pursuit to know Jesus more and to see his kingdom fill the Earth, be sure of this; you never lose. Here on Earth, we reap a hundred-fold of that which we have let go of, and we also receive rewards after our time here in this world expires. Hallelujah, God is a rewarder and you can count on His faithfulness (Heb 11:6, Heb 6:10).
Another thing to take note of is that living a life of sacrifice towards the spread of the gospel not only attracts abundance in relationship and material possessions but also attracts persecution. Many people don't like this part, so they ignore it in many circles. But it's part of the total package. With the houses, brethren, lands and children come also persecution. If you're going to live a godly life that'll please God, you will suffer persecution. The desperate attempt to avoid being persecuted is what makes a lot of people compromise their faith daily. Be bold! Be courageous! Stand for Christ everywhere and at all times. Even when we're persecuted for our love for Jesus, we rejoice to be counted worthy to suffer persecution for him. Your eternal rewards will cancel out any magnitude of persecution eventually. Child of God, rejoice as you make sacrifices for His kingdom. (Further reading: 2Tim 3:12, Acts 5:40-41, Rom 8:18, 2Cor 4:17)
Confession
These light afflictions are not worthy to be compared with the eternal weight of glory prepared for me in Christ Jesus. Therefore, I stand in Christ’s faithfulness, and even in the face of persecution, I rejoice in Him. Hallelujah!