Following Jesus Doesn't Leave Any Wiggle Room

My Utmost For His Highest

 

As they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon…, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus. —Luke 23:26

 

{CHAMBERS} “If we obey God, it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the pain begins. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything— it is a delight. But to those who do not love Him, our obedience does cost a great deal. If we obey God, it will mean that other people’s plans are upset. […] We have no right to think that the type of relationships we have with others should be any different from those the Lord Himself had (see Luke 8:1-3).[…] Beware of the inclination to dictate to God what consequences you would allow as a condition of your obedience to Him.”

 

{ELGIN} There are relational consequences when we choose to follow Jesus by faith.  Our lives are no longer conformed to what the world says is “right”.  Our affections are upended.  Our love for God and desire to walk in His ways becomes primary and our love for others and the things of this world, secondary.  The result can often be that we find ourselves distanced from our family and friends.  Not because we are obnoxious with our new found faith or because we don’t care about them, but rather because there is a spiritual barrier between us.  We are aliens in our own families.  For some that means rejection – censure, for others it may be patronizing – having become the “odd” family member.  Or perhaps that is not what happens at all because we choose to go along to get along. 

 

Acceptance by our family or friends is more important to us than obedience to the God that we have put our faith in.  (Luke 14:26) ““If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.”  The Lord does not leave any wiggle room.  To be rejected by people you care about because of your faith is hurtful.  You must decide if you are willing to carry the same burden that Jesus did. (John 15:18-19) “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own.”  For Jesus, it meant that He had to go to the cross.  (Matthew 16:24) “Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.”