Articles
All or Nothing
Reading: Luke 14:25-35
As great crowds went along with him in his ministry, Jesus wanted to be clear about his calling and impress upon his audience what following him would require. “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (v. 33). It was straight talk they needed to hear, and we need it just as much today if we want to follow the Lord.
We often think of our lives in terms of priorities. When asked to make a list of the most important things to you, it may look something like this: God, family, friends, career, service, hobbies, etc. But what happens when two of your priorities conflict? Your career choices may get in the way of building a home with your family, or friends might ask you to partake in activities that violate the moral teachings of the Scriptures. It is in moments like these when we realize that having priorities is a myth; we can only have one true priority (see v. 26). In your life, what wins out over everything else?
Jesus reveals the heart of God when he tells people that being his disciple is an all-or-nothing relationship. God wants your whole heart and full devotion. If we make an attempt at half-hearted discipleship, only yielding some of our hearts and lives to the Lord, it will not end well for us (vv. 34-35). So many start the journey of a Christian only to give up when true devotion proves to be a cost they are not willing to pay (vv. 29-30). Let it not be said of you! Yes, living for Jesus means taking up a cross and sacrificing anything that would hinder our pursuit of His will. But that tower is worth building. That war is worth waging. So count the cost today, and make the changes necessary to keep God where He belongs: on the throne of your heart.
