Luke 14:33
So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
Who Do You Trust?
I can look at my checkbook as I do from time to time and have concerns that my money will run out before the month does but you know what, I still give my offerings to the church. That is because I trust with my heart and not with my eyes. I wasn’t always like that. In the only place in the Bible that God asks us to prove or test Him is with our tithes or offerings (Mal 3:10) so long ago I started to do just that and guess what; He proved to me that He was faithful and blessed my offerings. If I had trusted my eyes I wouldn’t have ever did it but I trusted Him with the eyes of faith and know that He is faithful and I have never been disappointed.
Wood, Hay, or Stubble?
When we stand before Christ to receive our rewards or the lack thereof, we won’t look back and think “Wow, what about all that money I made, what about that nice car I drove, what about my 401K Lord, what do you think about all those things?” No, those things might actually work against us unless we have used our resources for His kingdom and for His glory. What will pass through the fire that day are only things like gold, silver, costly stones (1 Cor 3:12) but everything else will be burned up and be useless (1 Cor 3:13). If we are more concerned with what we have, then we aren’t seeking the kingdom above all things because Jesus promised if we seek first the kingdom and that means seeking the King of that kingdom above all else, then He promises to provide for our every need (Matt 6:33).
Which is it: Security or a Relationship?
If we knew what the kingdom would be like and could go to heaven and come back, I believe we’d be much more focused on having a relationship with Christ at all costs over everything that costs. A relationship with Christ is permanent but the things of this world will all pass away. Paul had no trouble considering everything in this world as nothing compared to knowing Christ (Phil 3:7). If we don’t renounce everything for the sake of being His disciple then Jesus is saying that we can’t really be His disciple (Luke 14:33) in the same way that He says whoever doesn’t pick up and carry their cross cannot follow Him and be His disciple (Luke 14:27) so the question for you and I remains; Do we want a relationship with Jesus more than caring about our own security?
A Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, help me to focus on a relationship with You and Your Son, Jesus Christ, over the things of this world for they are temporary but you are eternal and I need You help in prioritizing my life and centering it around You and not on things and in Jesus’ name I pray.
Amen
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