Learning to forsake all. It seems like a daunting task-forsaking all that the world has to offer to lay up treasures in heaven and letting go of family and friends in order for Jesus to be all that I live for. I believe the Lord has been showing me that He will take care of me wherever I am. I don’t have to keep a stash of money in the bank for when I run into financial difficulties. I also have to “hate” my family and friends in compared to my “love” for Jesus in order to be His disciple, not just a follower. Many followed Jesus and heard His teachings, but when it can down to the hard sayings that Jesus said, many no longer chose to follow. Only the disciples stayed with Him.
One verse that stands out to me, that I believe the Lord has kept on my heart for a few years now for when I doubted in my walk with Him is John 6:68-69. Jesus said one of His hard sayings and many of His disciples left Him. He then turns to the twelve and asks them if they want to leave as well. This is when Peter speaks up and tells the Lord, where would we go? You have the words of eternal life. This is one of the verses that, I believe keeps me in the battle. It wouldn’t make sense for me to leave now, especially knowing what I know about the Lord, which will never be enough no matter how much I learn from now on. This verse has, and will help me persevere in times of trouble.
As Christians I believe that we should be all in for Jesus. One quote from True Discipleship by William McDonald that stood out to me was: “There is no room for half-hearted followers in His army.” That is cut and dry statement. Being a very black and white person, this stood out to me. It’s all or nothing for those who are disciples of Christ. This “revelation” alone sparks a zeal inside me that I don’t want to ever quench. How can I live a “normal” Christian lifestyle when Jesus said that we must forsake all to follow Him. If I want to be a disciple of Jesus, it can’t be without zeal. “If the Christian faith is worth believing in at all, it is worth believing in heroically” – Findlay. That is my prayer, to believe heroically; to be all or nothing.
I believe this last verse of a poem by Amy Carmichael pretty much sums up what I want to aspire to: a passion for the Lord. To be a crazy, maniac disciple sold out for Jesus.
“Give me the love that leads the way,
The faith that nothing can dismay,
The hope no disappointments tire,
The passion that will burn like fire,
Let me not sink to be a clod:
Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God”
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