From the desk of Pastor Ben
The Paradox of Discipleship – Part 2

“Whoever wishes to save his own life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.”         (Matthew 16:25)

The story is told of a plantation slave in the old South who was always happy and singing. No matter what happened to him, his joy was always great. One day his master asked him, “What makes you so happy?” The slave replied, “I love the Lord Jesus Christ. He has forgiven my sin and put a song in my heart.”
“Well, how do I get what you have?” his master asked him. “Go and put on your Sunday suit, then come down here and work in the mud with us and you can have it,”came the reply. “I would never do that,” the owner retorted indignantly as he rode off in a huff.
Some weeks later, the master asked the same question and was given the same answer. A few weeks later, he came back a third time and said, “Now be straight with me. What do I have to do to have what you have?” “Just what I’ve told you the other times,” answered the slave. In desperation, the owner said, “All right, I’ll do it.”
“You don’t have to do it now,” the slave said. “You only had to be willing.”

A disciple doesn’t have to be a martyr, but he must be willing to be a martyr if faithfulness to Christ demands it.

Ask Yourself:
What are you willing to do and to be for the sake  of your Lord? Is there anything you simply are not ready to part with or give up in order to walk in unfettered faithfulness with Him? Why is Jesus so insistent on having your full allegiance? Why is this not asking too much of you?