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The Best Life Possible: Discipleship



Jesus said a lot of things…obviously. Some things he said were quite shocking and still, today, radical. In Luke 14:26 Jesus stated, "If anyone comes to Me without hating his father and mother, his wife and his children, his brothers and sisters,  indeed his very self, he cannot be My follower." Who could do that? Is that even obtainable or an achievable goal? Yes! Discipleship is radical, but obtainable. If it wasn’t possible, Jesus would never challenge us with pursuing discipleship.

To be a disciple of Jesus is the most radical of all commitments. The relationship of Jesus' disciples with Him is in a class by itself. In comparison with our love for Jesus, all other loves seem as hatred. It isn’t that we are to “literally” hate people like our parents and children, but in comparison to Jesus, we are loving them less than we love Jesus. Our relationship with Jesus is to be supreme. It is more important than our very lives.

When we are truly disciples of Jesus, we will gladly carry our crosses every day (Luke 14:27) to be faithful as His disciples. As Jesus' disciples, we are privileged to renounce Satan and all his works, to lose our lives (Luke 9:24), and to renounce our hold on all our possessions (Luke 14:33).

Think of it this way: one day as Jesus' disciple is better than a thousand days elsewhere (Psalm 84:10). It is better to suffer as Jesus' disciple and to stand in the face of persecution and ridicule than to hear the resounding applause of the world or to have all the pleasures money can buy (Acts 5:41).

Jesus is God. "For through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him." (Colossians 1:16-17). Jesus is the Lord of lords and the King of kings "Who dwells in unapproachable light" (1 Timothy 6:15-16).

He is Love Himself (1 John 4:8). It should never cease to amaze us that Jesus would even consider calling anyone to be His disciple. Yet what is even more amazing is to know that He continues to seek us out and has chosen us (John 15:16).

Let us rejoice in our invitation to discipleship and to accept it, embrace it, grow in it and live it out faithfully until death. Discipleship is truly the best life possible. Live for Jesus!

"Live for Jesus" by Evie: One of my favorite songs! Listen here: Live for Jesus - Evie

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