The Cost of Discipleship

I read a verse today. I didn't like it at first. It convicted me, it was a challenge, and it was extremely hard to swallow. But it completely changed my life. In the Gospel of Luke, a large crowd is gathering around Jesus, and He says to them in chapter 14, verse 33: "In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple." I was immediately taken back when I read this. How could I have missed this before? Surely, Jesus could not be serious, could He? I began trying to find a loophole, looking for someway that I could say that this particular verse didn't apply to me. But I couldn't find one. No matter what I did, or where I turned, this verse was still in front of me. I couldn't evade it.

Yes, of course I want to be Christ's disciple. Of course I want to have a relationship with Him, where He teaches, and comforts, and loves me. But I have to give up everything in order to have that? Giving up everything is hard! And it was at this point, when I was debating within me this cost and how large it was, that I realized just how much like the rich, young ruler in Luke 18 I really am.

"When Jesus heard this, He said to him, 'You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.' When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, 'How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.'"  -Luke 18:22-23

Before, when I read this story, I would subconsciously condemn this guy, thinking that I was nothing like him, and nod with agreement with Jesus. But now I get it. I am just like the rich man, and I have never seen it before. And I am certain that I am not the only one. What does it say about our hearts when we have a debate within ourselves as to whether we should truly listen to this verse, or not? How have I become so attached to these transient things around me that the ultimatum by Christ to be His disciple scares me? But the key word here is 'transient'.

The things of this world, they will not last. It's all a vapor. But a relationship with Christ, that is something that is eternal.  And when my eyes were opened to this fact in light of Christ's ultimatum, I realized how much of a fool I would be than to choose other than Christ. Jim Elliot said, "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." Who wouldn't choose something of eternal value over something trivial that will fade?

And so, I had a choice to make. Would I choose Christ, or would I choose my things? Would I choose Christ, or would I choose what gave me a false sense of control and security? Would I choose Christ, the One who never fades, and who loves me more than I could ever hope to love Him back, or would I choose the transient, cold vapors of this life? And so, I chose Christ. I will desire a relationship with Him, and to truly be His disciple above all else, and will therefore, give everything up to follow Him. He can have it because I want Him more, and I cannot keep it.

 I'm gonna need Your help on this, Lord.

"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." -Matthew 13:44-45

Things Not to Do in Prison

I've had the awesome opportunity for a while now to help out in juvee on Wednesday nights, and as a result I've learned a ton of different things regarding my faith and how to share it with others. However, there are other things that I've learned as well which, though aren't as important as the spiritual lessons, are nonetheless important lessons to grasp, especially if you're going to be spending much time there, or if you value your physical well being. Here they are.

1. State your opinion about how ugly tattoos are -especially when the guy right next to you is called Tattoo, and for good reason.

2. Mention that your favorite TV show is 'Prison Break' - it makes the guards nervous.

3. Act nervous - they can smell fear you know.

4. Accidentally step on a guy named Viper's shoes - Ever.

5. Forget that 90% of the guys in there come from a martial art background - and the other 10% are the size of rabid gorillas

6. Get within 20 feet of the guy with the toothbrush that tapers to a point - unless, of course, you don't mind going through the rest of your life with the nickname 'Stitches'.

7. Assume anything - it makes you look stupid

8. Make sudden movements - unless you enjoy being at the bottom of a dog pile.

9. Say pit bulls are ugly and stupid - because for some reason, everybody in there has one and is very attached.

10. Ask the guy why he has tear drops tattooed on his face

11. Not realize that inmates are the real life version of MacGyver - it's amazing what you can do with a tube of toothpaste and an eraser.

12. Not bring food with you - or you won't leave with 20 new friends.

They say that the best kind of lesson to learn, is the one you learn from somebody else's mistake. By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to being able to avoid the 'minor' setbacks that can be caused by a broken femur or lacerated forearm, as well as not being viewed as weird by those inside. I'm looking forward to getting to hang out with the guys again this coming year, and as I learn new lessons (and hopefully, as they do too), I'll be sure to keep you updated.

Greatest Quotes of Fall '11

The semester has finally come to an end, and in order to give somewhat of a taste as to how things have been on campus lately, all semester long I've been keeping track of the greatest quotes and conversations of this past fall. Here are a few of them. I hope you enjoy.

• "Man, what I wouldn't do for a sweet pastry right now."
• "You peed in my pants!"
• "In this jar is a lateral meniscus. I'm going to pass it around for all to see. It came from my right knee." (This same professor later passed around a rod that had been in her spine.)
• "We made 300 egg sandwiches a day. It was gonna be an empire."
• "Why am I always attracted to married women? I'm like James Bond."
• "People used to do that to the monkeys back home. They'd inject vodka into an orange, and wait for a monkey to eat it."
• "I'm gonna give you a best friend hug."
• Russel-"What class you writing a paper for?"  Me-"Exercise leadership."  Russel-"You have a class on casting out demons?"
• "We did have one guy that just smelled horrible. He walked into the room, and I thought to myself, 'Ohh, you're poor.'"
• "What's a good song to play on his computer for when he gets back? How about 'I'm a sinner and I need Jesus'?
• "You. Me. Bucket of chicken. Snowflex."
• Mom-"Happy birthday Granny! You're 95!" Granny-"Well, happy birthday to you too!" Mom-"Uhh, thanks!"
• "Ewww. There's a leaf in my salad."

The Answer

The semester is finally over, and it's been an awesome one. And though I feel like Christmas kind of came at an inconvenient time, I'm glad to see that the Holy Spirit is definitely working in that juvee, and who knows, maybe a month off will give the guys plenty of time to process what we've been telling them all semester. I've definitely seen more of a genuine interest in Christ this past semester than I did last year. There's three guys in particular that are extremely close to accepting Christ as Savior, and I just wish that we could talk to them a little more before the break. I've also started to further realize the backgrounds these guys are coming from. I understood before that things hadn't been the greatest for them, but now I'm starting to understand some of the details. Most of the guys have been in a center like their current one before, most only have their mom around anymore, most have backgrounds in drugs, and many even have their own families (It can be kind of hard to not act surprised when you're asking the guys for prayer requests, and they ask you to pray for their little girls-especially if the dad is maybe 17).

These guys have been through a lot, and to be honest, many have nowhere else to go. They've hit rock bottom, and things don't look like they'll ever turn around. But that is where Christ comes in. I've seen Him radically change the lives of people around me, as well as mine, and I know He can do it again for these guys. They want to change. Believe it or not, they don't want to be in an institution like that for the rest of their lives. They want to change, they want freedom, they want to live for something, a life with meaning, and they're desperate for answers, as to how to obtain these things. Which is how they end up in there. They try to fill these voids with drugs, gangs, theft and they don't realize it's temporary and it's leading them places they don't want to go until it's too late.

And now, now that they've come to terms with where they're at, they realize that there's got to be an answer that satisfies. An answer that truly fills, and leads to true freedom. And it's the same God who led His people across the Red Sea, who can lead these guys to true freedom as well. That's the answer they're looking for. I just pray they see that soon.