Cost of Following Christ
Devotional #4
April 2, 2023
Scriptures:
Luke 9:57-62 And it came to pass, that, as they went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 58 And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 59 And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 60 Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. 61 And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. 62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.
Devotion:
Have you ever had that feeling, this walk is not for the weak? I am sure if you’re reading this your answer is yes. Don’t worry, you are not alone. I remember feeling alone shortly after making a commitment to God. It was because my friendships started to change, my social life changed and I no longer did the things I once thought were fun. I started making sacrifices, such as watching teachings online or studying the Bible instead of going out. It led to me feeling like I could no longer relate to those I loved the most. What I realized though, is the more time I spent with God, the more I was becoming more like him.
There is a cost that comes with following Christ. In Luke 9:62, Jesus said “no man having put his hand to the plough and looking back is fit for the Kingdom of God”, which means following Christ will require you to leave friends, jobs, situations and family behind for God’s Kingdom. It is truly a sacrifice. Imagine being the man in Luke 9:59 that desired to follow Christ but wanted to bury his father and being told to go preach! In the midst of grieving the loss of his father he was sent out an assignment by God.
This scripture reminds us that following Christ is not about the matters of your heart but about God’s. We no longer operate in our will but the will of God. And because you love God, you will sacrifice. The bottom line is we make sacrifices for people we love.
I want you to ask yourself, what am I still holding on to that is taking space from my relationship with God? If you are unsure, it’s ok. Pray and ask God to reveal it to you. Once he does, ask him for help to let it go. The beauty about going to God and giving him our weakness, is where we are weak, his strength is made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9).
