As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” Luke 9:57-58
Do you wonder what must have been going through the mind of the man who made that pledge to follow Jesus wherever he went? This guy must have thought following Jesus would be a piece of cake! But Jesus knew that once he explained the weight of that commitment, the man would have second thoughts. Jesus did not have an extravagant lifestyle. He didn’t live in a gated community or ride the latest Bentley chariot. He didn’t even have the security of constant food and shelter. All he had was a commitment to his Father that he would live out the principles he taught as he prepared to save the world.
Following God comes with a cost. Jesus counted the cost by leaving his comfortable place in heaven and paid the ultimate price by sacrificing his life. We, too, will have to sacrifice our life. We will have to sacrifice going to some places. We will have to sacrifice doing certain things. But every sacrifice you make for Christ has a greater reward than anything money can buy. Jesus made unbelievable sacrifices to carry out his commitment to God. Are you willing to do the same? God is calling each of our names to come join the winning team. Will you answer the call?
Lord, I want to answer the call today. Help me to take those steps toward a life that is more pleasing to you. I love you, and I am willing to make the sacrifices necessary to follow you. In Jesus’ name, Amen.