Abandon self and renounce your rights

Luke 14:25-33

Before joining the army of the United States of America my older brother Fred, gave me this advice; “Bobby, never volunteer for anything and be quiet and do what you are told.”  Now Fred was not only my older brother, he was the person I looked up to and being a good little brother, I took his counsel.

Now that counsel seemed to work in the army and as I entered the business world it was still great counsel, especially the “be quiet and do what you are told.”  I’ve shared with you that Jan and I was in our twenties when we asked Jesus to forgive us for taking His place of being God, and confessed that we needed His grace and the faith to trust Him for life now and the eternal.

When we joined a Baptist church full of excitement and zeal, Fred’s advice was the furthest thing from my mind, we volunteered for any and everything, and it all felt good.  But it backfired on us, we spent more time at church than in our home, it was work and church, and our beautiful little girl knew the nursery workers very well.  Our marriage suffered, and yet how could that happen, weren’t we following Jesus?

Let me be quick to answer, “NO” we were following the flesh, I especially enjoyed the praise of men, I was not being taught because before sitting and learning how to be a follower of Jesus, I had entered into the role of teaching what I had no spiritual understanding of.  My desire in sharing this in conjunction with Luke 14:25-33 and my prayer is that you will not waste time following men, but will seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

It may be of help if before reading Luke 14:26 you first read Matthew 10:37, for it is the same as Luke 14:26.  Shall we begin with Matthew 10:37, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.”  And doctor Luke uses the very strong word “hate” to make his point; 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.”  If you come away with anything other than Jesus’ requirement for being His disciples requires putting Him before all else.

Not many of us who are followers of Christ are willing to abandon self and renounce our rights, to give up control of our desires and hope to meet Jesus’ requirement for being His disciples, so we live life as good followers with little power from the Holy Spirit working in us.
I’ve often wondered why I would have such a battle putting Jesus before all else? It is clear that the world and the desires of my flesh are warring with my spirit, but could it be that you and I have not grasped this truth in John 10:10-11, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice