Called to Carry the Cross Daily
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23
In our enthusiasm to celebrate all that God is doing through our work of making disciples across the street and around the world we sometimes need to be reminded there is often a high cost to being a disciple-maker. This should not surprise us because Jesus told us this would be our reality,
"If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you."
(John 15:20b).
This prophecy is a sobering reminder that sometimes opposition and persecution stand in the way as we obediently go forward to make disciples as Jesus asked us to do. We do a disservice to seekers if we do not let them know being a Jesus follower is not an invitation to a life of ease where everything always goes well. Being a Jesus follower is a call to action and a call to join a band of disciple-makers who have been on the move expanding God's Kingdom on earth for more than 2000 years.
Answering the call to be a disciple-maker requires some big decisions:
A disciple-maker must we willing to set aside personal agendas and focus on Jesus' agenda
A disciple-maker needs to be in a relationship with Jesus such that there is no competition about who and what is most important
A disciple-maker needs to function with pure motives
A disciple-maker needs to hold lightly to possessions and be ready to invest as God directs
A disciple-maker bathes the effort in prayer
Whenever we make a decision in life we often weigh the options and calculate the cost versus the potential reward. Deciding whether or not to be a disciple-maker is no different. There is indeed a cost. Authorities may resist us. We may find ourselves faced with competing agendas where it is considered illegal in some places for people to "change religions." There may be personal attacks and accusations against anyone who talks about Jesus. In some cases the resistance may even become violent.
Nevertheless, the rewards of answering the call to be a disciple-maker are beyond description. To those who chose to be disciple-makers Jesus said:
"... surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Having Jesus as a companion on life's journey is more than enough for us. He is actually more than a companion. His desire is to be as close to us as each breath we breathe. I encourage you to pause for a moment and become aware of your breathing. As you do so be reminded that Jesus is closer to you than the air that comes and goes from your lungs. He has promised to actually live in us and give us an eternal perspective on life and circumstances.
Yes there is a cost to being a disciple-maker but the rewards are beyond comparison in this life and the next.
