How willing are you to lay it all down?
Countless times in the scriptures we see Jesus say, “Follow Me.”
What does following Jesus really look like?
The definition in the dictionary means to go or come after (a person or thing proceeding ahead); move or travel behind. Follow translated in the Greek is translated as follow but also accompany and assist. We are called to come along side Jesus and do what He has called us to do and glorify Him in everything.
What exactly does that look like for you? What does Following Jesus mean for you?
Are you willing to count the cost and obey? After all,
1 Samuel 15:22 says:
"But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.”
Counting the cost means weighing your options. It means considering consequences and effects. It means to make a decision knowing all possibilities. Many can make a decision without counting the cost. Maybe that is why they turn back or quit half way. What about you? Have you fully counted the cost of following Jesus Christ with your whole heart? Have you truly considered what it meant to do so? Jesus did actually admonish us to count the cost. Look here in Luke 14:25-33
“Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.
“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
Many verses throughout the bible talk about counting the cost, leaving everything behind and following Jesus. I know that sometimes we can get confused and wonder why Jesus says that you must hate even your Father and Mother even though in other scriptures He talks about loving people. Jesus didn’t actually mean to hate your loved ones but was really saying that following Him comes before anything else. As Matthew 22:37 says:
“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
When you truly do that, you are willing to forsake all. You will leave your home, your job, your comfort zone, really anything to obey the Lord. Is it always easy? I wouldn’t say it is easy but can be simple once we choose to take those steps of obedience regardless. The simplicity of forsaking all for the sake of the gospel really goes back to magnifying Jesus above all things. 1 John 4:8 says:
“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. “
So as you keep your eyes on Jesus and take those steps, that fear that may have felt overwhelming just flushes out. All of those feelings of doubt and worry just disappear. It is replaced with peace, patience, kindness and most of all love. Love conquers all things. When we truly fall in love with our savior, we are willing to lose it all, not for our sake, but for His.
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