I Consider My Life Worth Nothing

"In every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." 

(Acts 20:23-24)

I skimmed through the entire book of Acts this morning. I was compelled to do this because of much recent meditation on the responsibility of every Christian and every church to be radically, completely devoted to the service of Jesus and the spread of His gospel. Though I was just seeking to get a quick, overall synopsis of the mission of the early church, I came to a stop when I read and re-read the scripture above, written by Paul.

Paul's attitude of abandonment in toward His work for the Lord Jesus is stunning. It agrees completely with the same attitude of abandonment that Jesus calls us to all throughout the gospels. Repeatedly, Jesus clearly communicates that all of our lives and all of our resources are to be centered around the chief aim of telling others about Him and bringing glory to Him.

I am gripped in my soul as I realize the changes that need to be made in my life in order that I might have the same intentional, impassioned, missional lifestyle that the disciples in the book of Acts had. I have been begging God for the outpouring of His Spirit to work within me the desire and willingness to live in this way despite how hard or sacrificial it may be.

Oh that I might have the same filling of the Holy Spirit that Paul had; the same abandoned determination to testify for the gospel that I will say "I consider my life worth nothing to me!"