Jagged Cliffs

Read: Luke 14

"and at the dinner hour he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, Come, for everything is ready now.' But they all alike began to make excuses." Luke 14:17-18

Examine:

This is a chapter of the Bible that most would prefer to rip out and not discuss. It is a chapter that does not paint a picture that matches the décor in the hearts of most who claim to pursue Christ. It is a chapter that speaks of humbling yourself. It is a chapter that implores us to count the cost before we say yes to Jesus. It is a chapter that bluntly says we can not keep our lives and follow Christ. It is a chapter that says most of those who think they will be in the Kingdom will miss the invitation because they will excuse themselves from being inconvenienced.

Apply:

There are two guardrails that will help me avoid this mentality and keep my heart open to saying yes. First, I need to inventory my life and ask the question, "What has my faith cost me?" A pursuit of Christ will come at a personal cost to me. It is a free gift to receive salvation but it is an expensive gift to maintain. Nothing about following Christ is free or easy. If I have not surrendered something lately to the cause of Christ then I can be assured I have drifted off center and need to realign myself with the heart of God.

Second, I need to look for my "no's". If I started removing things from my life at what point would I say to God, 'No, that is not a fair price to pay." I hate that question. Everything inside of me that is not of God wars hard against that assessment and refuses to think about it. That said, it is a question I have to ask. I must know where my boundaries are. I must know my weak spots and allow God to take priority over them. These things have a way of forming conditions around me saying yes to God. If left unchecked, these things will be the excuses that cause me to miss out on God's invitation.

Prayer:

"So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." Luke 14:33.

"Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be my disciple." Luke 14:27

Those verses stand before me this morning and the image I see is a steep and jagged mountain that is impossible to climb. I look at the selfishness of my heart and my innate sense of self-protection and I realize that fear grips me and refuses to allow my pursuit of You to carry me towards the cliffs that stand before me. It is humbling to realize that there is literally nothing inside of me that will ever pursue You like this and left to myself I am unable to do anything about it.

But You have not left me alone. You have not set a standard that is unachievable and left me to fail. While there is something inside of me that looks and the cliffs and says no way; there is also inside of me the same Holy Spirit that raise Christ from the grave who says let's get going.

I submit to the voice of Your spirit this morning. There is a lot weighing on me right now and the cost of saying yes feels heavy. All I know to do is say yes one step at a time. I ask that You affirm the work You have for me in a clear voice so that I will not miss the invitation. I pray that You go before me and move upon the hearts of others so that I can find affirmation and support. I beg that You let my heart rest in knowing You have made all the arrangements, You control all the provisions, and You will not allow a word from You to come back empty.