Discipleship is Costly

In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples. Luke 14:33 NIV

There can be no half-way commitment among those who claim to be disciples of Jesus. Jesus’ demand is that discipleship is an all-or-nothing relationship. This startling demand raises some serious questions in a Jesus-follower’s mind. What would it look like for me to faithfully live out this command? The “everything” of this requirement includes all the people and things in my life. How and when have I given up my everything for Jesus and his kingdom? Am I holding anything back? Could he ask me for anything right now and I would freely and gladly offer it because it already belongs to him?

If I am a disciple of his, all the things in my possession and all my human relationships are not mine. They belong to him.

For most of our married life, my wife, Ila Jean, and I maintained a ministry in our home of rescuing women from the street. Many were homeless or in the sex trade. Bringing them into our home on a temporary basis we would show the women the love of Jesus and guide them to a new life in Him. Church friends told us we were crazy. “They will rob you blind”, they said. But we had no fear of that. Our commitment was that everything we had belonged to God. He could take care of his stuff better than we could. If anything came up missing, that was God’s problem, not ours.

What freedom there is in owning nothing, in just being a steward of God’s stuff that he has assigned to us! That kind of attitude and belief enables radical and joyous benevolence.

What things or relationships are you grasping tightly to that Jesus says you would be better off to give up to him? Be a disciple.

(Used by permission Christian Devotions Ministries)