Key Thoughts V

“If you want to be My disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison—your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters… your own life…  So you cannot become My disciple without giving up everything you own. Luke 14:26 & 33 [emphasis added]

Please read Luke 14:25-33. In this portion of Scripture, even though we can take the lesson and apply it to the economy, Jesus was addressing deeper things. He was talking about spiritual economy. He is talking about our lives. If you want to be His disciple, if you want Him to own you, if you want Him to economize you, if you want Him to be in charge of you, if you want to be His resource, you must hate everyone in comparison to Jesus. Wow!

Jesus is just amazing. He says in case you do not know who everyone is, let me spell it out – your father, your mother, your wife, your children, your brothers and sisters, yes, even your own life! People think to become a Christian is just a fad. Not at all; it will change your life. Jesus says otherwise you cannot even be His disciple if you do not hate all compared to Him. Jesus is not saying you should hate everybody. He is saying that if you were to put your husband beside Him and you cannot choose Him over your husband then you cannot be His disciple. If you cannot choose Jesus over your wife, if you cannot choose Jesus over your children, if you cannot choose Jesus over your siblings, if you cannot choose Jesus over even yourself then you cannot be His disciple. And if you cannot carry your own cross and follow Jesus then you cannot be His disciple.

So do not start thinking about following Jesus until you count the cost. Wow! Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before burning out. Then everyone will laugh at you saying, “There is the person that just quickly followed Jesus but could not follow Him completely”. So you cannot become His disciple without giving up a few things? Without giving up the crucial things? Without giving up the pivotal things of life? No, He says “without giving up everything”. Wow! Jesus is saying it has to be everything or it is actually nothing. We must think about the weight of these words [paraphrased].

Do you want your destiny accelerated? Then choose generosity over greed, patience over impatience, diligence over laziness, and faith over risk aversion.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for loving me and for choosing me. Lord, change my life and take me higher in You and let Your Name be glorified, in Jesus Name.