Daily Devotional

Like most kids growing up, I had chores that I was expected to do. There were some that were always the same and some that came up sporadically. There were some that I didn’t mind doing and some that I dreaded. The thing all the chores had in common is that they were set by my parents and the chores were expected to be done.

One thing that was drilled into my siblings and I was that it was never okay to do a “half-job.” What’s a half-job you might ask? Well, as the name implies it’s not finishing a job all the way through to the end. If you take the trash out but don’t put in a new bag, that’s a half-job. If you start a load of clothes but never put them in the dryer, that’s a half-job. If you unload the dishwasher but don’t load it back up, that’s a half-job. You get the idea. The goal in what my parents were trying to teach us is that if you are going to do something, then do it all the way. A good start is good but it’s not enough, you have to finish the job as well.

Jesus had a similar mentality when it came to those who were following Him. Time and time again we’re told that Jesus had huge crowds following Him but then we see Him say things that would cut down on the number. Jesus didn’t want people who followed Him halfway, He wanted people who would follow Him all the way. Jesus wants us to follow Him all the way. Jesus wants you to follow Him all the way. He wants us to count the cost, to take stock of all that comes with following Him and make a choice to follow or not.

Jesus doesn’t want our faith to just be a chore that we do half-heartedly. He wants us to follow Him because we see that it’s worth it. Following Jesus is worth whatever cost will come with it; it’s worth giving up anything that we’re asked to give up and leaving behind anything we’re asked to leave behind.

New International Version (NIV)
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