Have You Taken a Stance?

Reflection for Sunday, 5/3/26

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world...” Romans 12:2a NIV

“Not conforming to the world requires taking a stance. That stance is costly.” Pastor Brad Reaves

Yes, discipleship is costly. Jesus said,

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Luke 9:23 NIV

For many years, I couldn’t understand what Jesus could have meant when He said,

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.”  Luke 14:26 NIV Read full chapter

That is, until I read about Nabeel Qureshi in his book, SEEKING ALLAH, FINDING JESUS. Nabeel was a Muslim man who gave his life to Jesus Christ. It costs him everything. His close, “tightly-knit” family unit was shattered, and Qureshi felt he had become a source of shame to them. His mother, to whom he was very close, expressed deep anguish, feeling betrayed by her only son.

Many others have given up everything to follow Jesus, including the Apostle Paul, Corrie ten Boom, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer, to name a few.

We cannot follow Jesus and the world’s way at the same time. Following Jesus could mean we lose relationships, our dreams, material things, or even our lives. Today, over 388 million Christians face high levels of persecution and discrimination for their faith. (Open Doors) These Christians are willing to lose their very lives to follow Jesus.

Is your church teaching that if you accept Jesus, God will be at your beck and call, that you can have wealth, prosperity, and good health in this life, and that God will solve all your problems? Well, compare that to what Jesus said.

On the other hand, Heaven is more wonderful than we can imagine! And in this life, we can have peace and joy. We can know the living God. And He has given us His Word, the Bible, which will lead us into all TRUTH, even in this world where deception and lies abound.

We can never earn our salvation. It is the gift of God. But those who are following Jesus simply for what they can get in this life won’t stick around when the going gets tough. I know this because I have seen it happen. And it almost happened to me.

In His Love, Cindy

To learn more about Jesus, read Who Is Jesus? A message for the Skeptic

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you.”

Psalm 122:6 NASB

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