Discipleship. (Part 3)
I have so many ideas and thoughts swirling around my head these days. You'd think somebody's been praying for me to have a hankering to write, because that's what I've got. I literally have several drafts with just a title right now to remind myself what it is that I've been thinking about, and if ever I get the time, to write them out. But, first thing's first. I wanted to continue on with a series. Now, enough of this carrying on....
I started sharing thoughts and requirements of discipleship here (part 1) and here (part 2). We've talked about what a disciple is, part of what a disciple must do- deny themselves- and then, now, the giving up everything. In Luke 14 it says, "those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples." We get too caught up in our stuff. That's it. We love our stuff, and it gets in the way. We need to relinquish all we have. What if my money was now Jesus', what if my house was now His, my car, my clothes, my career, my...? Do you know how different I would use those things? So very different. Jesus says to let go. Now. We can't be caught up in all of that or else we'll probably never go anywhere, or be ready to be obedient right when He asks. He wants to do grand things with us, but we're often just held back with all our cares and duties- not that you shouldn't have duties, but you have to look at why you're doing them, and have you already given them up?
Here again, we see it plainly cut out for us. A simple statement that is a big deal. Straight and to the point. No going around it. If you do not give up everything, you can't be His disciple. And 'everything' is a big word. I have to start with my heart and get rid of all that doesn't belong there and then I need to look at everything else. I can not follow Jesus until I've gotten rid of everything that's hindering me. Are there things in my life that I've put in Jesus' place? Is there something that you've put in Jesus' place?
And then, since following Jesus is a big deal, we need to count the cost (like giving up everything!). Are we willing? Are we ready?
I started sharing thoughts and requirements of discipleship here (part 1) and here (part 2). We've talked about what a disciple is, part of what a disciple must do- deny themselves- and then, now, the giving up everything. In Luke 14 it says, "those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples." We get too caught up in our stuff. That's it. We love our stuff, and it gets in the way. We need to relinquish all we have. What if my money was now Jesus', what if my house was now His, my car, my clothes, my career, my...? Do you know how different I would use those things? So very different. Jesus says to let go. Now. We can't be caught up in all of that or else we'll probably never go anywhere, or be ready to be obedient right when He asks. He wants to do grand things with us, but we're often just held back with all our cares and duties- not that you shouldn't have duties, but you have to look at why you're doing them, and have you already given them up?
Here again, we see it plainly cut out for us. A simple statement that is a big deal. Straight and to the point. No going around it. If you do not give up everything, you can't be His disciple. And 'everything' is a big word. I have to start with my heart and get rid of all that doesn't belong there and then I need to look at everything else. I can not follow Jesus until I've gotten rid of everything that's hindering me. Are there things in my life that I've put in Jesus' place? Is there something that you've put in Jesus' place?
And then, since following Jesus is a big deal, we need to count the cost (like giving up everything!). Are we willing? Are we ready?
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