Usually I start my blogs with a cute story. Something funny, perhaps, that happened to me. To my family. And there are a few that I could think of that happened just yesterday. (My life could really be a sitcom.)
But not today. Today it’s just this question that’s been reverberating in my soul.
Is He really Lord?
The title of this section gets me every time – The Cost of Being a Disciple – think about that. Read these verses. Reread them. Let them prick your heart.
and this one….
Count the cost.
Carry your cross.
Give it all up.
I don’t think He literally wants us to give up everything we own, pull out of society, and live on a mountain somewhere all alone eating worms and bugs with nothing but the clothes on our backs.
When He says to give up everything we own, I believe He wants us to give up our right to ownership of it. We give up our right to call it “mine.” We give up control.
And when He says everything, He means EVERYTHING.
He doesn’t want us to make anything a priority over Him.
Is He really Lord?
“To be My disciple, you must hate everything else in comparison to Me – father, mother, wife, husband, son, daughter, brother, sister, even your own life.”
Wow! That sounds kind of harsh, don’t ya think, coming from Living Love? Coming from the one full of grace and truth?
No – He doesn’t mean we’re to hate them. He means He wants first place, and not just when it’s convenient or easy. He means all the time.
He wants to be Lord.
We’ve made Him Savior. I’m so thankful for the blood He shed to rescue me from sin! He is Savior.
Yes, we’ve made Him Savior. And Healer. And Provider – oh, we let Him be Provider. We’ve made Him our Peace and Protector.
He is all those things…and He wants to be. We’re in covenant with Him, and isn’t that what covenant means? Everything He has and everything He is belongs to me. It’s mine. Hallelujah!
Yes. But it also means that everything I have and everything I am belongs to Him. Selah –
Lord = Master. Supreme Authority. Controller of all things in our lives.
Is He really Lord? Is He Lord of our time? Our money? Our thoughts? Our things?
Have I really relinquished my rights – all of them – my whole life? Or is He Lord only when it’s convenient and I’m still in control when it’s not?
Do I send the encouraging text when He prompts me to or do I want until I’m not as busy and then forget? Ouch!
Do I make the call? Do I give the money? Do I send the gift?
Do I give up my Saturday to help that person? Do I let Him direct every step or only the ones I like?
For the most part, the answer is yes. But it’s that “for the most part” that keeps pricking my heart.
I don’t always sleep well, and sleep has become a HUGE priority in my life. Recently, He spoke to my heart, “Your nights belong to Me, too.”
He used to wake me up to pray a lot, and I would do it. But recently I started just rolling over and putting on a podcast to drown out my thoughts so I can get back to sleep.
Is He really Lord?
Disclaimer:
I feel the need to put a disclaimer here for those of us who may tend to over do and beat ourselves up if we take a minute to ourselves.
- He doesn’t keep me up every night all night in prayer. But when He needs me, I’m there. He doesn’t ask us to give up every single Saturday every week – but when He leads, do we do it?
- He didn’t tell everyone to sell all they had and give it to the poor. He only said that to the rich young ruler because He knew money had his heart.
Keep it all in balance. He’s given us this life to enjoy. And He wants us to enjoy it. Jesus went to weddings and enjoyed dinner at a friend’s house. He had days of rest.
But when He needs us…..well….is He really Lord?
Sometimes it’ll cost us. Cost us doing something we want in order to sow into someone else’s life. We may have to give up that thing we were going to buy ourselves so we can give instead.
It may cost us a relaxing Saturday to help someone in need.
Sometimes it’ll mean giving up our pride. Or speaking the truth when it’s difficult. When when truth isn’t popular. Or turning off the TV.
Keeping Him in the place of Lord and Master and Supreme Authority of our lives will cost us. It’ll cost our flesh.
But the rewards – oh the rewards – of living life as a disciple. Of keeping Him Lord. They’re beyond amazing.
So…because He’s been asking me – actually a better word would be challenging me – and I like to spread the wealth, I’m asking you.
Is He really Lord?
And if not – why?