An important note: I used the example of the disciples to illustrate my point. We must be careful with using New Testament narratives as principles that are prescriptive for all believers. The fact that the disciples failed does not make Jesus' hard saying about counting the cost any less important. I am merely drawing out the fact that Jesus is able to use people whom are very prone to failure. This is not an excuse for us to take Jesus less seriously, but rather an attempt to help us see realistically how a human being might handle those hard sayings.
You hear preachers everywhere talking about the cost of discipleship. They talk about the pain, the suffering, the toil, and the glory of it all. They talk about how Jesus is worth it and the audience roars with excitement. When all of this is happening in a stadium, in a free country where you can happily exercise your faith, and amongst people who will happily agree with you, it's not hard to heartily agree with that preacher. What if you were cowering in a war-torn nation that hates Christians and wants them dead? And you're hearing all this in a shack of a church, from a preacher who looks like he hasn't eaten in days? What if this message you were listening to would mean your death sentence if you uttered it in public? If that was me, I would not be able to accept the price of discipleship.
Yes, you heard it. Danny from Comics for Christ finds it extremely difficult to come to terms with what Jesus said about discipleship.
If you grew up in an environment where it just seemed like common sense to triumphantly accept the cost of discipleship, you may feel like something is terribly wrong with you when you feel like the cost is too high. You might feel like an absolute failure when everyone around you seems to be perfectly brave. In a sense, something is wrong. Being a disciple is the highest honor you can have. But in another sense, you're not at the bottom of the barrel, because any honest human being will struggle greatly with the idea of suffering for Christ. It's better, to be honest, admit your feelings and work through them than to be a make-believe Christian. That's a miserable life.
The comic addresses my consolation in this matter. With this space here, I want to talk about some reasons why you may be feeling this way. Don't prescribe any of this to yourself just because I said it, mediate on it and be fully honest before the Lord.
You're just like the disciples. Read the comic about this point.
You have doubts about Christianity that are holding you back. These should be addressed honestly and hopefully alongside wise people that you trust.
You actually don't even have the willingness to be a true disciple and you're just people-pleasing or going along with the flow of what's "right". This is a dangerous place to be at. If this is you, be honest with yourself and the Lord. If you don't intend on serving Him, ask yourself if He actually is your Lord or not. If not, consider whether you want to stick with Him or leave.
You NEED to be honest about this. Christianity is not a joke. The standards that Jesus set are not arbitrary. Salvation is free, but being a disciple requires your whole life. You cannot live a double life. You cannot lie to God about any of this. You cannot pretend to be something you are not ready to be. Admitting you're not ready is the best thing you can do because that allows you to look at the situation clearly and honestly. Then, and only then, can you deal with it properly.
For the rest of you who are indeed ready to accept the cost, I am happy for you. Yet, you cannot project your own conviction onto others. Do not make yourself the standard all of a sudden. Too often I see mature Christians ridicule those who are not in the same place as they are without taking the time to understand why. You want more people toiling for the Lord, don't you? Then start living that life and attract people by showing them the fruit of the Holy Spirit made manifest in your walk.
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