How much is one soul worth? Is it worth the extra time that it takes to have a conversation with them when you could get your errands done quicker? Or how about the extra money required to take them out to eat when you could have used that cash to get the newest dessert on the menu? Now these may seem like small sacrifices, but many times we can fail to execute in even these capacities.
Jesus says in Mark 8:36-37 “And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? 37 Is anything worth more than your soul?” I would argue that we all know a soul is worth more than extra bacon on a cheeseburger or a few extra minutes to ourselves. However, we must put into practice what we believe or else we will just have good ideas about how to obtain a harvest, but then never bear the fruit of it. The souls of others are inexplicably valuable and so we must put the time in to reach them.
I currently study business at my university and one concept that has been recently discussed in a couple of my classes is opportunity cost. Simply put, if you have two choices to make, what do you lose out on if you take option ‘A’ as opposed to option ‘B’? Many times, businesses can make less money by not weighing alternate options properly. For example, using an empty factory to produce more product seems like a good idea until you realize that you could lease the space and make even more money that way.
We can make the same mistakes that businesses make if we are not careful. We can fall into the failure of fulfilling the immediate satisfaction that comes from saving the energy that it takes to invest in someone. After all, the Chiefs are playing after church on Sunday and that sounds more ‘fun’ than sitting down at a restaurant with someone and listening to them talk about the things that are weighing down on them in life. However, we must evaluate the opportunity cost. In the long run, the reward will be much greater than watching a football game. You will not have any regrets about taking the time to disciple someone when they are standing beside you in heaven because you made the commitment to pursue eternal benefits.
It can be uncomfortable to just share the love of God with someone, whether they be a stranger or someone you have known for decades. The question I ask today, however, is will that be a good enough excuse to give to God? We feel uncomfortable to talk about Him and so we choose to not share the truth? Now this does not mean you need to, or should, stand in the middle of the street with a megaphone telling everyone that they are filthy rotten sinners, and that they better repent quickly. Discipleship is often a matter of playing the long game. Build connections, create strong friendships, and be a representative of the love. However, do not stop there. I encourage you to take the next step and invite that person you may have in your mind right now over to your house for a Bible study. Tell them about what the Lord has done for you. Give them a message of hope in the midst of their hardship. After all, we must offer hope because we have experienced hope. Make the sacrifice of time and money to invest in eternity. To end, I ask you the same question I asked at the beginning. How much is one soul worth?
