Before John was saved he had thought that staying away from nice things would be a way of earning salvation. One thing, you remember, he had stayed away from was a bed. He slept on the floor. It was, of course, a useless way of trying to gain salvation and it had given him no peace with God.
Now as John traveled about the countryside, he was again sleeping on the floor! Not this time to win God’s favor but rather to win men and women for Christ. As he and his friend Nelson went from place to place preaching, they sometimes spent several weeks sleeping on the floor because there were no handy motels such as we have today. Nor is it likely that they would have had the money to pay for such a thing.
John was much happier sleeping on the floor for Christ’s sake than when he had done it hoping to gain salvation. Now he cheerfully said to Nelson, “Let us be of good cheer. I have one whole side yet, for the skin is off but on one side.”
Often John and Nelson had trouble finding food as they traveled about. One evening John was so hungry he stopped his horse to pick blackberries. He said to Nelson, “We ought to be thankful that blackberries are plentiful, for this is the best country I ever saw for getting an appetite, but the worst that ever I saw for getting food!”
If you are saved and wish to tell others about your Saviour, you may never need to sleep on the floor or eat only blackberries. But more than likely you will have to give up something. Maybe it will only be a ball game or some other thing you enjoy. Are you willing?