If you are going to start your day without Jesus, then why bother starting it at all? If Jesus isn’t everything to you, then He is nothing to you, and there is no point in pretending otherwise. Your half-hearted devotion does not fool God, nor does your lip-service faith impress Him. He knows the truth about your commitment to Him, and deep down, so do you.
Jesus says, “On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?’ Then I will announce to them, ‘I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!’” (Matthew 7:22-23). He knows you know how deep your commitment to Him is. What’s the use of keeping up this charade?
The cost of following Jesus is high. He was clear in explaining it will cost us everything (Luke 14:26-27). A plain reading of the scripture shows the world will hate us, and even our families will hate us (Matthew 10:22; Matthew 10:34-37; John 15:18-19). We must throw all our plans away so we can more look like Jesus (Philippians 3:7-8). Everything we once held so dear will now be like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6; Philippians 3:8). Because Christ makes all things new, we must destroy every old thing in our lives (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:22-24). Our lives are no longer our own (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). We are now slaves of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:22; Philippians 1:1).
The price is indeed high, and He knows you know if you are willing to pay it. You might fool everyone else, but you can’t fool God (Galatians 6:7). If you will not abandon everything for the sake of following Jesus, your life will be meaningless and count for nothing. There is only one truth, only one way to life, and that way is Jesus Christ (John 14:6).
You can reject the truth or even pretend to believe the truth, but it won’t change what is true. When we die, each of us will know with great finality what the truth is. Some of us already know and will rejoice in the fulfillment of that truth. But most will discover what deep down they have known all along: that they were wrong.
There is nothing we do in secret that is not seen by God (Hebrews 4:13; Ecclesiastes 12:14). No matter how clever you think you are or how well you cover your tracks, He knows you know the truth about yourself. You can hide from everyone else, but you can’t hide from God or yourself. Truth will always come out, and only those who confess Jesus as Lord with a sincere devotion will escape the fires of Hell (Romans 10:9; Matthew 10:32-33).
Following Jesus is a lifelong commitment so difficult that few will have the necessary courage to walk that narrow and harrowing path (Matthew 7:13-14). Few will count the cost, forsake everything, and follow Him (Matthew 16:24-25; Luke 9:62). Will you be one of the chosen few? Are you willing once and for all to be done with all the world offers and surrender everything to Christ (1 John 2:15-17)? Is Jesus your everything? Are you ready at last to live the life He commands you to live? He knows you know.