THE SACRIFICES OF BEING A DISCIPLE OF CHRIST
Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple – Luke 14:27
Then he told them what they could expect for themselves: “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. Don’t run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I’ll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. – Luke 9:23-24
“Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him.” – Phillippians 3:8
To truly follow Jesus means He has become everything to us. We no longer follow our friends or pop stars or any desires. No, to follow Jesus is to follow nothing else. No one can follow Jesus by his own strength. Jesus taught His disciples the secret to following Him in faith. It is the Spirit who gives a person life, man cannot do it himself (John 6:63). The disciples walked with Jesus for three years, learning, observing and being part of His miracles. Yet they couldn’t follow Him by their faith in their own strength. They needed a helper. Following Jesus is not easy. Jesus warns us of the cost of following Him. There’s no excuse for ignorance.
Discipleship Asks Everything
Prayer: Lord, please teach me how to follow Your example so that I can be an example to others. Amen.
Challenge: Decide today whether you are ready to give up everything for Jesus!
