“So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” – Luke 14:33
Wow! Seriously! What a stunning statement from our Lord and Savior. Any one of us who doesn’t renounce all that we have cannot be His disciple. Does that mean a Christian can’t own anything – a TV, a car, a home, a nice outfit – nothing? Probably not, based on the example of Scripture. However, we must be very careful to never let any of those things own US. That’s what Jesus is really getting at.
You see, a person can have one of two possible relationships with their possessions. Either they own their stuff or their stuff owns them. When our stuff owns us, it dominates our thoughts, controls our emotions, holds our finances hostage, and limits our freedom to do whatever God has called us to do. This is very common in our culture. When we own our stuff, then we can enjoy and appreciate it, thank God for it, and also let it go, give it away, or leave it behind if God tells us to.
That’s what it means to renounce all that we have. It’s recognizing that every possession we own and every dollar we have is a gift from God given to us to manage for His glory. It’s being clear in your mind that God owns it all and being willing to leave it behind if God tells us to go. To give it away if God says to do so. To let it go if we need to travel light for God’s Kingdom. It’s trusting that God’s will is better and more satisfying that the nicest things of the world.
Think carefully about what you talk about the most. Is it the Lord, other people, or things? What do you spend the most time thinking about? Is it the Lord, other people, or how to get or pay for things you have or want? How would you feel if God told you to leave your home, get rid of your car, or give away most of your money? If your words, thoughts, or emotions are very much centered on houses, cars, gadgets, toys, clothes, fortunes, etc, then begin to work on your renouncing skills. Thoughtfully and intentionally turn those things over to God because they may well be interfering with your ability to #FollowJesus