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Do I Have What It Takes To Follow Jesus?
Some people have considered what it takes to follow Jesus and chosen not to follow Him. For example, a rich young ruler approached Jesus, wanting to know what he must do to have eternal life. But, he went away sorrowful when Jesus told him that it would cost him all his riches (Matthew 19:16-22). In the same way, perhaps you have considered whether to start or continue following Jesus but have been unsure whether you have what it takes to do that.
1) It costs to follow Jesus. Jesus wants those who follow Him to consider the cost of doing so. For example, Jesus speaks of this cost in Luke 9:23-24. Therefore, it is proper to recognize that following Jesus will be costly and require great sacrifice. However, you must balance this cost with the recognition that following Jesus is the only way to eternal life in Heaven and is the only kind of life that is truly joyful and fulfilling (John 14:6)! So, while the cost of following Jesus is great, the reward is greater than any treasure imaginable (Matthew 13:44-46)!
2) God created everyone with the ability to seek Him. God did not give some people the ability to make this kind of commitment to follow Jesus and not to others. God has created every person in His image (Genesis 1:26-27). This means we have all been created as spiritual beings, just as God is a spiritual Being (John 4:24). So, when the apostle Paul spoke to idol worshipers in Athens, he told them that God has created people so they might seek Him and find Him (because He is not far from each one of us, Acts 17:26-27). There is no one who is so far away from God that he/she cannot reach out and find Him! But, it requires that we seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).
3) There is a war between the flesh and the spirit. Although we all have the ability to seek God, there is something that works against us doing so. The Bible reveals that there is an enemy of all mankind who is working to deceive and mislead us. God calls him Satan (the devil, 1 Peter 5:8-9). Because we are both physical and spiritual beings, Satan is trying to appeal to our fleshly desires in a way that influences us not to seek God. This is called temptation (James 1:14-15). However, we can resist the devil’s temptations and not sin (James 4:7). This struggle between the flesh and the spirit is referred to as a war. For example, 1 Peter 2:11 shows the fleshly desires as waging war against the soul. But, please notice the fact that God gives you the choice as to which side of this war you want to fight on and gives you everything you need to overcome (Ephesians 6:10-18)!
4) Serving Jesus is an intentional decision every day. One key in whether people will follow Jesus is whether they will humbly choose to follow Jesus above living for their own fleshly desires. Most do not. Those who do choose to follow Jesus and make the sacrifices He requires do so because they recognize what He offers through the love He has shown by dying on the cross! This was the apostle Paul’s perspective (Galatians 2:20). Although the decision to follow Jesus should not be made lightly, it is within your ability to make! And, rather than a one-time decision, it is a decision that you must make every day to work out your own salvation in a way that pleases God (Philippians 2:12).
You have what it takes to serve God! God has created you in His image and given you everything you need to follow Jesus. But, He does not force you to do so. He has left it up to your choice of whether you will spend your life pleasing yourself by pursuing the temporary things of this life or whether you will sacrifice yourself to follow Jesus and be rewarded throughout eternity. Which will you choose?