Being a Disciple

What is the cost of being a disciple?

think about it, and what do you think most people would say?

I would think to most people it would seem to be

a burden to be a disciple of Christ, for it comes down

really to one simple thing, and that's giving up everything.

You make Christ first in everything you do,

you live and breathe to let his light shine through you.

That doesn't sound so bad, does it?

I suppose for most people the cost

would be not conforming, not following the pattern of this

world and doing what everyone else does, and not

putting your selfish needs and desires first.

We all have our moments and are not perfect,

so don't get it twisted, I'm not saying i'm perfect...

but in reality I don't find it to be a burden to be a follower of Christ..

in fact I find it freeing. If we put him first, if we know through him all things

are possible and he has our best interests at heart, then

what do we have to worry or stress about?

even when we are brought down low, even when it seems

everything around us is falling apart, even if we

are living on the streets, if we put God first

there is nothing we need to worry about.

It sounds simple and thats probably because it is..

people tend to make God and his word more complicated then

they're. In Luke 14:25 Jesus spoke to a crowd of people

who were following him and he said:

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father

and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters-

yes, even his own life- he cannot be my disciple. And

anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot

be my disciple."

Hold up wait a minute...rewind..did Christ just say hate?

So Christ wants us to hate ourselves and our family, and

essentially everyone? and only then we can follow him?

No...what Christ was and is saying is.. He should be first..

not you or your wife or family and what YOU want...

Christ should be first above everyone and everything,

and you shouldn't let your family or anyone for that matter..

get in your way of your personal relationship with Christ.

If you would let someone dictate to you how your own

personal walk should be with Christ, if you would let

someone change your mind or hold their opinions

above what God says, then obviously you can't

be a disciple of Christ..it's that simple.

Obviously we are not suppose to hate anyone...

I mean we're suppose to love our own enemies.

I think to many people have this misconception

of what a follower/disciple of Christ should be,

people think you are suppose to be some kind of monk

and they take Romans 12:2 totally out of context..

which states:

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world any longer,

but be transformed by the renewing of your mind"

They take that to mean that we are suppose to

totally shut ourselves off to the world, that

we are suppose to hide in our little churches and

condemn anyone who doesn't follow our little clique,

condemn everyone who doesn't follow the word of God, and

how we interpret the word of God to be.

Is that a disciple of Christ? we ourselves don't

follow his word to a T in our own life..how can

we judge someone else who doesn't?

Romans 12:2 is like Luke 14:25..

where I already stated Jesus wasn't telling us

to "hate" as we think he meant, and in Romans

Paul wasn't saying lock yourselves away from the world

and hide from it..NO what Paul was saying is..

Don't let the world dictate your walk with Christ,

don't put the things in this world above Christ,

don't follow what everyone else is doing and saying

about Christ. We ourselves are suppose to line

everything up with his word, if something obviously

goes against Gods word, then it is wrong.

For example going back to luke 14:25,

now if Christ told us to Love...

even told us the greatest commandment was to Love,

then why would he be then telling us to hate? obviously

he wasn't talking about actually hating our family or friends..

but hating anything that comes out of their mouth

if it goes against Gods word or if they are

trying to keep us from following God.

"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness,

how can it be made salty again?"

Luke 14:34

believe it or not but that verse goes hand and hand with Romans 12:2,

and what I was talking about. What is Jesus talking about? salt?

who's salt? what salt? ok I'm confused..yeah I know,

thats one of those verses people glance over and are like:

"Ok Jesus..whatever you say there buddy"

and then they move right along.. not taking the time to understand

what he is saying. Jesus is still talking about being a Disciple..

and what it takes to be one. Essentially what jesus is saying is..

"Being a Disciple is good, but if you lose touch

with those you are trying to disciple to,

then how can you be a disciple?"

it's a thinker...but let it soak in. You see if we as disciples..

choose to hide from the world and shut it out like

a lot of people think we are suppose to, then how

exactly are we going to be disciples?

If you can't take the time to understand this generation...

to accept them for who and what they are...to

try and somehow relate and understand, then how are you

going to disciple to them?

how are you going to share the love of Christ?

if you are going to come at them with condemnation?

If you are going to judge them,

turn your nose up in the air at them..

how is that being a disciple?

how is that showing the love of Christ?

"Oh that screaming rock music...

Oh those tatts and piercing..

Oh those clothes, video games and movies

Oh that rap music and bling...

those diamonds and ear rings..

and ect ect.."

if that's going to be your attitude,

then I beg and I plead with you

to please stay hiding and don't come out

Don't try to "save" anyone..

because you won't save anyone with that attitude.

you will only totally turn these kids off to God.

God works through all things...

God will use any and everything to get a persons attention on him.

If you are going to judge someone before you even talk with them..

then that is not of Christ at all. The underlining factor is simple...

"Disciples involve themselves

in all parts of society to give it a righteous flavor."

I wish I could say I came up with that...but it's actually

in the footnotes of my N.I.V bible for Luke 14:34-35