DEVOTION365 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish... So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple Luke 14:26-29, 33 When you read Jesus’ teaching beginning in Luke 14:26 it sounds exceedingly harsh. Does Jesus really mean that we have to hate our loved ones in order to follow Him? Certainly not! After all, does Jesus not teach us in Matthew 22:37, 39 to love God with our entire being and to love our neighbor as ourselves? Jesus would not contradict His own teaching. In speaking to the crowd Jesus is employing hyperbole to make an important point. What He is doing is emphasizing the importance our commitment to Him and the difficulties we will encounter striving to live a Christian life. He is speaking about priorities. He is pointing out that we must do all we can to keep Him first in our lives. Jesus expects us to love everyone, including our enemies. What He is saying is we should understand the difficulties loving others will present in our lives. Relationships are a large part of the cross we will bear. We can only take on that impossible task successfully through a relationship with Jesus. When we honestly understand the cost of following Jesus is it any wonder that we fall short every day? Be humble and understand that no one is worthy. Be thankful for His grace and mercy, and then act as that knowledge demands. Use the blessings of God for good and to bless others. An effective Christian walk will be uncomfortable more often than not. Never lose heart. Give God your best. Trust in Jesus! Count the Cost! You must present as the LORDs portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you. Numbers 18:29 Meditation: In prayer, allow God to bring to your mind ways in which you can love better and be more patient in your relationships. Work towards trusting God to supply your physical, spiritual, and emotional needs. Think about how far God has brought you and trust He will bring you further, to the place He intends for you to be, to your purpose. Prayer: Heavenly Father, strengthen me in my difficulties and reinforce my spiritual frailties. Allow me to recognize the worth of others, realizing that they, like me, are your children, imperfect, and worthy love and forgiveness. In Jesus Name. Amen
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 11:11:15 +0000
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