Is Christianity Worth It? By Rick Warren “What profit is there if you gain the whole world—and lose eternal life? What can be compared with the value of eternal life?” Matthew 16:26 (TLB)
It’s not easy to live for Christ in a world that doesn’t like Christ.
The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:19, “If our hope in Christ is good for this life only and no more, then [Christians] deserve more pity than anyone else in all the world” (GNT).
So here’s one of the most important questions you can ever answer: Is Christianity worth it?
Everything in life has a price tag. Anytime you say “yes” to something, you’re saying “no” to something else. Is the prize worth the price of following Christ?
Jesus said, “What profit is there if you gain the whole world—and lose eternal life? What can be compared with the value of eternal life?” (Matthew 16:26 TLB).
People are willing to trade their soul for a lot of worldly things. Some are trading it for sex, some for materialism. They’re trading it for an addiction or money or fame. They’re willing to make a terrible investment in something that will never give a return that satisfies. Your soul is worth so much more!
Paul realized this. When Paul shared his testimony in Philippians 3:7-8, he said, “I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ” (NLT).
Paul realized that nothing—no status, no amount of money, no pleasure—is worth more than Jesus. Most of us don’t remember who was on the cover of Time magazine or what was trending on social media two weeks ago. That’s because the things of this world are light and momentary. And whoever is least among us is actually the greatest (Luke 9:48).
We need a new definition of success. Real, meaningful success isn’t based on what you have, your appearance, or feeling good. Real success comes from living your life by God’s values. And it comes with the ultimate reward of enjoying eternity in heaven.
Rick Warren is an innovative pastor, renowned author, and global influencer known for founding Saddleback Church, the Purpose Driven Network, the PEACE Plan, and Hope for Mental Health. He has written several best-selling books, including The Purpose Driven Life, which has sold over 35 million copies in 200 languages. Time magazine named Warren the most influential spiritual leader in America and one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since stepping down from the lead pastor role at Saddleback in 2022, Warren has continued to inspire people through his Daily Hope Devotional and podcast Pastor Rick’s Daily Hope. His first book in a decade, Created to Dream, was released in April 2023.
For more Daily Hope with Rick Warren, please visit pastorrick.com!
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