Guilt Free Christianity

Based on Mark 10:17-31 (The Rich Young Ruler) 17As He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and asked Him, "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" 18And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.19"You know the commandments, 'DO NOT MURDER, DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY, DO NOT STEAL, DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS, Do not defraud, HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER.'"20And he said to Him, "Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up." 21Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property. 23And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, "How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!" 24The disciples were amazed at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, "Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! 25"It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." 26They were even more astonished and said to Him, "Then who can be saved?" 27Looking at them, Jesus said, "With people it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God." 28Peter began to say to Him, "Behold, we have left everything and followed You." 29Jesus said, "Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, 30but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. 31"But many who are first will be last, and the last, first."

A friend of mine recently said to me, "There is enough guilt to go around in Christianity." Meaning: to many times we as Christians attempt to guilt people into following God. 

I agree with that. Completely!

I also believe Mark 10:21, "On thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come follow me." Maybe in a future blog we'll speculate on the whether or not this should be taken literally.

I do believe it is safe to assume Mark 10:21 can be read to mean, "God is calling us to sacrifice on His behalf." 

My question: How do we share the call of God to sacrifice without participating in the "guilt circle" Christianity is often associated with in our culture?

Oh, yea. I forgot the first part of Mark 10:21, "Looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him and said to him..." 

I need some help cyberspace, because I admit openly...

I struggle with the idea of how to share that I believe God calls us to sacrifice and to share this in a way which communicates love and not guilt. I have no desire to participate in making others feel guilty.

I sense I communicate guilt when I share the idea of following God means sacrifice.

Things I believe God might think: 

• If we give 10% of our money to our church but people starve in our city streets we aren't sacrificing enough
  
• If we have a college education, grad school, etc...but children in our school systems read below their own grade level we aren't sacrificing enough
• etc...

No Guilt, Just Love! How? How do we find a way to share like Jesus shared? How do we look into the world and feel love and say give more? No Guilt, Just Love!