The Pain of Paying ~ 2 Chronicles 25

“Amaziah asked the prophet: "But what should I do about the hundred talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?" The prophet replied, "The Lord is capable of giving you more than that.” 2 Chronicles 25:9 NET

              By nature, we humans are loss averse, meaning we desire to avoid losses whenever and wherever possible.  Especially with money.  And concerning this loss aversion, there is a curious development that has ensued since the invention of the general-purpose credit card, Diners Club, in 1950.  There is less loss aversion when utilizing credit cards than with cash, a behavior coined as the pain of paying.  The pain of paying refers to the negative emotions we feel when making a purchase and it has been proven that the pain is more intense when paying with cash versus a piece of plastic.  In fact, it’s estimated that an individual will spend, on average, 12-18% more when wielding plastic versus real paper money.  But at the heart of the matter a truth rings out, it hurts to spend money and even more to lose it.  Yet nestled within the pain of paying, another truth rings aloud.  Everything that has worth in this world will indeed cost you something.  And it is no different when it comes to serving the Lord in obedience…the pain of paying will be felt.

              Chapter 25 of 2 Chronicles finds us reading about the highs and lows of king Amaziah.  He was an unusual king in that we are told in verse 2 that “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, yet not with a whole heart.”  He started out following the Lord in obedience, but sadly, ended his life riddled with rampant idolatry that brought about the judgement of the Lord.  Oh, the complications of the human heart that cannot be understood, even by the very ones that carry its beating within their chests.  And the complicated nature of the heart comes from sinful pride that fuels incomplete surrender to its Maker.  And incomplete surrender perfectly describes the reign of king Amaziah.  He begins by following the law of the Lord to a “t”, not just hearing the Words, but making a heart-decision to do what they say.  And within his early obedience and surrender to the Lord, we find our study verse. 

              In his haste to enlarge his kingdom, Judah, we find king Amaziah hiring mercenaries from the northern kingdom, Israel, his very brothers from the recent history of a unified Israelite nation.  But praise be to God, the Lord protects obedient, surrendered hearts from the evil of themselves.  So, God sends a prophet to warn Amaziah of his foolish decision.  God did not want the mercenaries to engage in this upcoming battle, but oops, king Amaziah had already paid them.  In fact, he had already paid them in cold hard cash, cold hard silver to be exact.  More specifically, he paid them one hundred talents of silver which is about 7,500 pounds.  In today’s value that is about $1,827,125.  That is a nice chunk of change that now rests in the hands of mercenaries that the Lord is clearly telling Amaziah not to use, send, or command to go.  Clearly Amaziah has a tough decision before him.  Disobediently send the paid soldiers into battle anyway and get his money’s worth or obediently send them home and lose out on almost 2 million dollars of his kingdom’s net worth?  Although this conundrum may not fully compute for us, king Amaziah had a problem we all have in this day we call today.  What are you willing to sacrifice to walk in absolute surrender and obedience to Almighty God?

              All ministry to the Lord has a cost.  In fact, I love the quote I heard years ago, “a ministry that cost you nothing is no ministry at all.”  It closely mirrors a famous quote from World War II pastor and martyr, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, “ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing.” You see, you can’t have all that you want and have all that Christ desires of you.  Those two are as oil and water and the twain shall never meet.  So, as we talk about the cost of obedience to Christ, just what may that entail? Well, it goes far beyond just a big pile of silver. In fact, in some ways, it will cost you much, much more.

              As we talk about the cost of complete surrender and absolute obedience to the purpose of Christ and His kingdom, everything is one the table.  Your money and your stuff?  Sure, check that box very quickly. But honestly, in my opinion and experience, after giving away my money and stuff several times over, the money and all the stuff are the easiest things to give up for the cause of Christ because He can so easily replenish them.  In fact, our study verse above clearly states that God could repay king Amaziah much more than he expended to hire the mercenaries.  God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Psalm 50:10) and can repay whomever whenever He wishes with the physical wealth of One that owns it all because He created it all.  But what about other items that are not so easily repaid?  What about a ministry to the Lord that costs you your time, something you cannot ever reclaim?  You see, all ministry to Christ means time.  And the time you give to the Lord cannot be reclaimed to use to your own personal liking.  And within that time spent serving the Lord involves losing time that could have been spent with loved ones.  Something Margie and I know only too well as we serve the Lord as international missionaries, separated from the ones we love by thousands of miles.  And what about the high cost of health, relationship stress, spiritual attacks, and the general comfort and conveniences of the life you prefer?  All things that can surely be usurped as a cost for the purpose of the kingdom of Christ.

              As you consider your own list of what it may cost you to walk in absolute obedience to Christ today, consider the case of Amaziah above.  Whatever it may be, the human condition will be averse to loss.  Our human sin nature will do all in its power to convince us it is not worth it.  But brothers and sisters, all is worth it to see one lost soul redeemed by Christ’s work upon the Cross.  I challenge you today to not look at the cost…but look at the soul.  Don’t see what you may lose, but what may be gained.  Refuse to live in the less, but revel in the more.  For it is in the constant losing for Christ…that all is truly won.

Pay whatever price is required…for Jesus paid it all ~ blessings on your journey, Dan

“So therefore, every one of you who does not give up all that he himself possesses, is not able to be My disciple.” Luke 14:33

"along the coast", Lima, Peru