While I wouldn’t consider myself “rich” by any means, my husband and I are blessed to live a comfortable life. We have funds to spend on Starbucks iced coffee when I need a little pick-me-up, money for dinner and movie date night, and when I need a new pair of shoes for a special occasion, I know it won’t break the bank to splurge every once in a while.

That being said, I still think it would be difficult to live without the comforts of my daily life, that wouldn’t have been afforded to me if it weren’t for my prosperity. This is one of those faith-testing moments where you have to look at your life and determine where your priorities are—God is asking us if He is ours.

In another passage, Jesus even asks the disciples to leave their father and mother to follow Him. We must be at a place where we can securely and genuinely say that we would sacrifice all else for Him. That’s not easy to do if you don’t know Him. Not a lot of people would give up their fortune and family to follow someone they didn’t know.

Jesus invites us daily to know Him more. When we spend time with Him reading the word, in quiet reflection, or in daily prayer, we are deepening our relationship with the Creator. We are allowing Him into our lives and letting him fill the God-shaped hole in our hearts that only he can seal. And when we know Him, giving up iPhones, video games, money, comforts, etc. won’t feel like a burden. We will find a willing heart, eager to follow God all the days of our lives.