Jesus declared: “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)
As a believer, it is important to understand that following Jesus Christ should never be about our convenience or comfort. On the contrary, it is all about our surrender, sacrifice, and our carrying the weight of obedience, no matter how heavy it feels or how arduous the way may become. Therefore, true discipleship calls for a heart that places Jesus Christ above every earthly attachment and ambition.
Jesus repeated this truth with unmistakable clarity: “Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33). These words may seem hard to hear, but these words reveal the total commitment that following Jesus requires. Discipleship in our lives will cost us our self-independence, our possessions, our personal ambitions, and even our own plans for life.
This is the hard fact of discipleship: we cannot hold back anything, because anything we hold onto means Jesus has no control over it. He desires wholehearted devotion rather than partial commitment. Jesus also said: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23)
To deny oneself is to lay aside our self-rule so that Jesus Christ alone becomes Lord. The cost is great, but the reward is far greater, for those who lose their lives for His sake will find true life in Him. To follow Him truly means surrendering everything in our lives, our treasures, our ambitions, and our will so that Christ may have first place in all things.