by Angela Moreno

Have you ever thought about what it really means to follow Jesus? To really deny your old self and become the new person you were meant to be in Christ?

Jesus was clear.  He stated in Luke 9:23-24:  Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.” 

From these verses we can tell what Jesus expects from His followers:

• We are to give up our old selves and become the new person in Christ we were meant to be.  Others should look at us and see a mirror image of the love of Christ.
• We are not to follow the old ways of the world but to only follow the path that Jesus has laid down for us.  We have to give up some of our old habits that we found comfortable (drinking, gambling, overspending).
• We are to give up our lives.  In some cases, this is a literal giving up of our lives.  In most cases, it would be listening to and following the guidance of the Holy Spirit even if the Holy Spirit asks us to give up our worldly possessions to work for God’s Kingdom.  Maybe it’s just getting up at 4 am to spend time with your Heavenly Father.

Sometimes following and becoming a disciple means standing out in the crowd or speaking out about immorality.  The world should look at you and know there is something different about you.

In the Bible, people told Jesus that they wanted to follow Him.  Jesus told them what it would cost to follow:

• Matthew 8:19-20:  Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
• Matthew 8:21-22:  Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”
• Luke 18:18, 22: A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”  He said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

In each of these cases, the burden was too much to bear and these “followers” chose to return to their old habits and old lives.

What are you willing to give us for Jesus? Is it too much to give up your family, your home, and all of your worldly belongings to follow Him?

We may not be asked to go through measures that some of us may deem extreme.  But I assure you the Holy Spirit is asking you to give up something, an idol in your life, to have a closer relationship with Jesus and to truly follow Him.

• Are you a little too dependent on money?  Does the idea of not having enough money stress you out?  God says that He will provide for all of our needs (Luke 12:30-31).
• Do you shop too much?  Your time and money could be better spent volunteering at a local food bank or even donating money to the food bank (Hebrews 13:16).
• Is gambling your problem?  Give your money to God’s Kingdom where it can further His Kingdom instead of feeding Satan’s kingdom (Malachi 3:10).

What has become an idol, a replacement for Jesus, in your life?

Are you ready to let it go and truly follow Him?

Are you ready to deny yourself and follow Jesus?