“Jesus said to him, ‘If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.’” Matthew 19:20-21

The man we know as “Antony of Egypt” was born in Upper Egypt in 251 AD. When he turned 20, he inherited his parents’ extensive wealth. But his life changed when he heard what Jesus told the young man in Matthew 19, about giving up his possessions and following Him. As he heard those words, Antony knew he did not want an ordinary life. Making a radical commitment to follow Jesus, he sold all of his possessions, laying everything aside to know Him more. He spent years dedicated to prayer, and God rewarded him with great revelations and insights. Others began to seek Antony, hungry to learn what God had taught him. He shared how wonderful it was to experience the love of God, urging others, “Pray continually; avoid vain glory; sing psalms before sleep and on awaking; hold in your heart the commandments of Scripture.” He encouraged Believers to purge their lives of anything that displeases God, to care about others and “bear each other’s burdens.” Augustine of Hippo, one of most important figures in the early Church, became a Christian shortly after learning about Antony. Although he was well-educated, Augustine recognized that something was lacking in his life. God showed him what he needed through Antony’s example. He wrote that Antony could “storm the gates of Heaven while we, for all our learning, lie here groveling in this world of flesh and blood.” How committed are you to the Gospel? What are your real goals in life? What is truly important to you? Brothers & Sisters follow Jesus wholeheartedly. Don’t compromise or hold back. And don’t be content with a mediocre faith or secondhand Christianity. Seek first His Kingdom, and dedicate everything to Him.