Day 14 - Luke 14 with Lizzy Price
When I signed up to write content for this Advent, I didn't know which day to pick, so I chose a random day. It was random to me, but it wasn't random to God. In fact, the same thing He has been talking to me about over the past few weeks, I believe He is calling me to share with you today.
Over the past few weeks, He has been talking to me about finishing off the year well against finishing what is already started. This has a key lesson for me because if you're anything like me, you start something off with every ounce of enthusiasm, and by that time you're halfway through, you have lost the momentum and the enthusiasm.
"If you want to be my disciple, you must, by comparison, hate everyone else - your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters - yes, even your own life. Otherwise you cannot be my disciple. And if you do not carry your own cross and follow me, you cannot be my disciple. "But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete the foundation before running out of money, and they everyone would laugh at you. They would say, 'There's the person who started that building and couldn't afford to finish it!' "Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can't, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving everything up." (Luke 14:26 - 33)
As we are preparing of the birth of Jesus, I am also finishing off the last pieces of work before closing my laptop for the rest of the year. I have been thinking about the goals I set at the beginning of the year and God has set me the challenge of "Finishing off the year well by finishing what is already started."
Now, this can look different for every one of us. For us personally, it can vary how it looks in the different areas of our lives. Whether there is a work project we need to complete or payment we need to make, it is all about finishing off the year well. Now there will be some things we may not have finished for one reason or another, and that's okay. I always remind myself that some progress is better than none. Therefore, why not start off something you said you were going to start - who is going to join in with this challenge during the last part of Advent?
On a faith level, I am really challenged to look at my own life and ask the question: am I willing to give everything up to become Jesus's disciple? How should our lives look if we really are willing to give everything up to become Jesus' disciple this Advent?
It seems quite a brutal thing to say, that we need hate everyone else, in order to become a disciple. However, this is the full extent of what becoming a disciple of Jesus takes. It means putting Him above money, family, hobbies etc. Like the illustration of the builder given in v. 28 - 30, it shows us that being a disciple isn't about being half in and half out, or in one day or out the next. There is no point being lukewarm with our faith. What good is that for anybody?
"Salt is good for seasoning. But if it loses it's flavour, how do you make it salty again? Flavourless salt good neither for the soil not the manure pile. It is thrown away. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!" (Luke 14:34 -35)
What good are we when we choose to dip in and out of our faith?!
It is so easy to lose our way when we have all these voices telling us one thing, and supposedly we believe in another thing. However, it is instrumental in keeping on the straight and narrow that we put God first in everything we do. It's uncomfortable and it makes us stick out. We need to stand out from the crowd, so that others will question what we believe, say, do and think, for their own good. That is the cost we pay for becoming a disciple of Jesus.
This Advent, let's remember that a relationship with Jesus isn't just for Christmas. Let's make the life-changing decision to put Him first in every area of our lives.
Jesus is the light of the world, and He came into the world to save us. However, not everyone knows that, and we, as Jesus' followers carry that light with us wherever we go. So let me encourage you take that cost of becoming a disciple of Jesus upon yourselves this Advent, so all those we know, love and come into contact with can get a flavour what Christmas is truly about.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Lizzy x
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