By Brandon Mull, Author of Tales of Newel and Doren

The spiritual dimension of my life is very important to me. I write lots of fantasy, but there are always glimpses of gospel truths in each novel. My fantasy series Fablehaven was full of them. In my latest Fablehaven adventure, Tales of Newel and Doren: The Gorgon’s Fury, I tell a story about irresponsible satyrs struggling to learn to be heroes and to care about others. That one was a lot of fun to create, and I’m happy that I’m now getting to share the result with readers.

In the novel I’m currently writing, I’m exploring a scenario where the fantasy includes spiritual components that are core to the worldbuilding. To write it well, I have to think a lot about how the physical interfaces with the spiritual, and in the book, I portray a fantastical version of how that might look.

Lately, I have been pondering the verse in James chapter four that says, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.” That sentiment is echoed in other sacred teachings. The verse suggests that God wishes to be near me, but He allows me to set limits regarding how close that relationship becomes. If I want Him very near, He will meet me as close as I am willing to get.

Which leaves me wondering why I don’t take better advantage of that opportunity. There have been moments in my life, especially in times of duress, when I have pushed hard to be near to God. In my experience, He has always reciprocated those efforts in some way. Over time, I have gained confidence that He is there for me when I sincerely reach out.

And yet I often let days go by with little real effort to be near Him. Sometimes it’s because I get distracted. Or I lack the faith and the motivation. At other times, fear gets in the way. I worry—what if I reach out and God does not respond? Or else, if I am feeling overwhelmed, I might worry—what if God asks me to do more than I can handle right now?

When I am thinking clearly, I know those fears are silly. God has always been quietly present for me when I have needed Him, so why should I doubt His willingness to connect with me? Also, God has always helped me when I feel overwhelmed. When I put into practice what I suspect God wants me to do, my life tends to get more manageable, not less. And yet, certain fears persist.

The scriptures teach us that after Adam left the garden, the first two laws he was asked to keep were the law of obedience and the law of sacrifice. I recently gained insight into why those laws are connected.

To obey heaven requires sacrificing the things of this world. Obedience to the spiritual demands the sacrifice of the carnal—and vice versa. The only way to fully lean into some of our earthly desires is to sacrifice our closeness to God. In matters of obedience and sacrifice, we must choose whether to serve God or mammon.

I am learning that there is a beautiful compensation for the sacrifices we make in obedience to God. Everything we willingly sacrifice is returned with interest—not as a coincidence or an occasional happenstance, but as part of an immutable law more certain than gravity.

If you faithfully sacrifice ten percent of your income to pay tithing, you tend to get back more than you donated. This principle has held true for me as I have lived it throughout my life. My mortal mind cannot supply the reason this works, except to believe that God rewards those who sacrifice for Him. The principle functions even for the most extreme sacrifices. If you give your life for God, you can look forward to being resurrected in a more perfected and glorified state, born again into a better life. If you sacrifice all you have for God, He gives you all that He has. And guess what? He has way more than you do.

In other words, if you sacrifice your damaged scarcity, He gives you in return His perfect abundance. When you sacrifice your widow’s mite—your sketchy, uncertain collection of sins, worldly possessions, fears, false beliefs, doubts, lies, whatever—you get in return all that the Lord of the Universe has to offer.

It’s an awesomely generous and beneficial trade, and it has led me to conclude that no matter how much we have, when we give all for God, our offering really is just a widow’s mite—a tiny sum compared to what we stand to receive. Anyone who really understands the value being exchanged would accept the deal in an instant. You are trading nothing for everything. Pain for healing. Darkness for light. Prison for freedom. Finite for infinite. Death for life. It is all ridiculous upside for the mortals making the exchange.

But still we hesitate. Why? The prospect of surrendering what little we have provokes fear and anxiety. Part of us wants the devil we know instead of the heaven we don’t yet perceive. That sacrifice of the little we possess is our part of the trade, and it can feel scary. But when we muster the strength to move forward, what we receive in return is undeniably better than anything we lose.

All we surrender comes back with overwhelming increase.

As I seek for reasons to draw near to God so He can draw near to me, I believe that sacrificing to know God is the best earthly investment. Faith is required to see the outcome. But given how God has shown up for me in my life thus far, I believe it is worth the effort to figure out how to really consecrate all I have to Him. Why not invest where the return is guaranteed?

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NEW! Tales of Newel and Doren returns to Fablehaven with a brand-new story starring the comedic satyrs, Newel and Doren, and their battle against a gorgon.