In the life of every true follower of Christ, there comes a moment when lip-service faith is no longer good enough. At some point we recognize that the status quo isn’t getting it done. The things we have always been taught begin to ring hollow. We recognize how shallow we have been swimming in the ocean of love that is the spirit of God. This is when we must choose to dive deeper and discover what it means to live life as an authentic follower of Jesus or to continue living in dangerous mediocrity (Revelation 3:16). This is the moment of truth, and our eternity hangs on the decision we make.
Jesus came into our physical world to give sight to the blind and hope to the hopeless (Luke 4:18-19). There was nothing passive about his approach or purpose. He didn’t seek to first establish a comfortable existence within society before getting busy with His Father’s work. There was no concept of waiting for the right time or the appropriate circumstances to obey God. He simply heard the voice of His Father and did what He told Him to do. Jesus did not hesitate or procrastinate. He knew the work given to Him, and He understood the urgency of the time in which He had to do it.
Our modern-day Western Christianity looks much different. We wait for the right time to serve or plead ignorance because we haven’t yet been able to discern God’s will for our lives. Worse, we know the things we should be doing to further His Kingdom but we are so wrapped up in creating our ideal life that we leave the things of God undone. Where in the Bible does it tell us to pursue the American dream? Where is it written that we deserve to be wealthy, happy, and comfortable? Jesus said that we will have trials in the world (John 16:33). Jesus said that we would be hated by our friends and family (Luke 21:16-17). Jesus said we would have no place to call our home (Matthew 8:20). How is it then we have come to believe it is our right to have these things?
If you want to be a true follower of Jesus, you will make important those things that He made important. You will follow in His footsteps by caring for the sick, the poor, the oppressed, and the hurting (Matthew 25:31-46). You will put aside your own comforts in favor of comforting others. To truly follow Christ means always putting the needs of another above your own. To follow Christ is to love unconditionally in every moment of your life. God doesn’t need your platitudes and propriety. He desires your obedience and devotion. A true disciple moves from their initial realization of their need for God, into a constant state of desire for Him. When you are truly in love with Jesus, you cannot breathe when you are separated from Him. You will be consumed by the desire to be in His presence, to follow in His footsteps, and to obey all He commands you to do.
The call of Jesus to His disciples is simple and clear: leave everything you have ever known behind and follow Him (Matthew 16:24). This is what marks us as either a follower or a fraud. You can fool those around you, but you cannot deceive the One who created you. God sees into our hearts. He knows if we are for Him or for ourselves. Following Christ may mean you lose everything in this world, but it guarantees you will gain everything in the world to come. This is the cost and reward of Discipleship. Will you follow Him?
Will you pledge to be His disciple today? State your declaration by leaving a comment below.