Tough Act to Follow

Jesus did some pretty amazing things on earth. And he asked us follow in his footsteps. Ever feel so unworthy because that was one tough act to follow? God totally laid out for us what we were getting ourselves into when we became Christians in Luke 14:25-35. God doesn't want to trick us into salvation. He wants us to follow him because we choose to - but it demands a lot: it demands our everything.

I have always read this passage in Luke and been perplexed. Prior to this passage, Jesus has told us to love our parents, siblings, friends, even ourselves. Now he is saying that if you don't hate them, then you can't be his disciple?! That's crazy! It seems like a contradiction, right? Wrong! It means that if we aren't willing to put God above every relationship in our life, then we can't be his disciple. He should be our #1, the most important person in our life. Not our mom or dad, a sibling, or even a spouse. We should love God so much, that even if all that was stripped away from us, we would be okay because we still love God. Talk about a high demand. But He also won't ask us to do anything He won't help us overcome.

The next part in the passage begins talking about building a house, then stopping half way through. And going to war only to lose in battle because you didn't calculate the cost. My first reaction was why on earth is that in there? It has NOTHING to do with being a disciple!! Wrong again... It has everything to do with being a disciple. Have you ever wanted to be something (doctor, teacher, police man) and not looked at what would be required of you? Or have you ever set out to become one of those people and quit half way? It's the same thing with being God's disciple. He doesn't want you to accept Him blindly. He wants you to know what is required of you before you get into. God for sure does not promise this life will be an easy one. It requires a lot: it requires your everything!

The passages ends talking about salt. Salt? What's with the salt? Salt is good - it adds flavor... It heals... It preserves... It has many purposes. But if a salt looses it's saltiness - it's worthless. How does that have to do with being God's disciple? Well, we must have our heart in it. We are meant to add flavor to people's lives... Bring healing by pointing people to Christ... We are meant to preserve life, not destroy it! Ever met a person who is doing all the right things but their heart isn't in it? What's the point right? God wants us to do good things, don't get me wrong. But He wants our heart in it! If our heart is not in what we do to serve God, it's worthless to Him!

If I might say, this is the most random 3 paragraphs in scripture that seem to have nothing to do with each other, but they are all intertwined with such beauty, it blows me away. God requires a lot from us to be His disciple: he requires us to make Him our #1 in our life, He requires our everything to follow Him, and He wants our hearts...

Have you given Him your heart? Have you given Him your everything? Is He above all your other relationships?