by: Denny

Be aware that there is a price to pay when you decide to make Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord and choose to follow Him. The road is straight, narrow, and often difficult. Far too many who begin the journey turn back when they become weary, discouraged, or when obeying God’s Word requires resetting their value system. It’s often a lonely road especially when criticism and rejection come from family and friends. You’re often misunderstood and your resolve to go forward will be tested when the going gets rough and everyone deserts you. As Jesus said, “A man’s foes will be those of his own household,” (Matthew 10:36) There is an old song with these words:

I have decided to follow Jesus; no turning back, no turning back. Though none go with me still I will follow; no turning back, no turning back. The cross before me the world behind me; no turning back, no turning back.

Andrew and his brother Peter left their nets and boats behind them, as did James and John. Matthew who was a tax collector quit his job leaving it behind him when Jesus called him also. If you want to follow Jesus, you’ll undoubtedly have to leave some things behind you. It could be anything that would pull you backwards and away from following Him. A rich ruler came to Jesus one day asking what he needed to do to have eternal life. Jesus told him to keep the commandments. To which the man replied that he had kept them from his youth. Jesus told him he still lacked one thing and to go and sell all he had and give to the poor then follow Him. The man walked away sad because he wasn’t willing to do that and give up his wealth. That was the one thing that pulled him back. On another occasion (Luke 9:57-62) three different men claimed they wanted to follow Jesus. One thought twice when Jesus said He had no place of His own. Another said He wanted to wait until his father died, and the last wanted to go and say goodbye to his family first. But Jesus told them, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God.” In John 6:66 we read that Jesus knew many of His disciples really weren’t believers even though they walked with Him. He said, “No one can come to me unless it has ben granted to him by my father.” This upset them and it says many of His disciples went back and followed Him no more. In the same way there may even be some who will leave you, as my first wife did to me. Without going into all the details her exact words were, “I want nothing to do with all this Jesus stuff!” Ironically, we attended church regularly so don’t presume you are a follower of Jesus Christ simply by warming a church pew. Following tradition is not following Jesus. I along with many others prayed daily for years and never saw an attitude change in her. It’s not that the Lord didn’t hear or desire to heal our marriage, but He won’t override a person’s free will. In August of 1984 I quit long haul trucking in hopes that spending more time at home would help our marriage. I took menial jobs working for a car dealership and a local newspaper. Things did not get better. Returning home after work one day, I found a note saying she was leaving, taking our son, and filing for divorce. I continued to pray, but one day the Lord said, “She’s not coming back, release her and follow me.” It was a hard pill to swallow, but she chose her path and I had to let her go. Even the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 7:15 “If the unbeliever departs, let them depart; a brother or sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.”

Leaving something behind to follow the Lord is one thing, but know this, that to truly know His heart you will experience suffering to grow and test your faith. A faith that can’t be tested is a faith that can’t be trusted. I think one of the hardest things I’ve suffered is when my wife left and refused to let me have any contact with my son. She had gone to live with her mother, yet still demanded I support her financially. She was denying me that contact as a means of forcing me to meet her demands. Months passed and she wouldn’t even let me talk to him on his birthday or Christmas. She had filed a temporary court order for support, and they granted it. Finally in February she allowed me to talk to him for five minutes then promptly hung up. It broke my heart because all those past months he thought I was looking for him but didn’t know where he was. “Can’t you find me? Don’t you know where I am Daddy? Please come and get me Daddy!” were his exact words. I laid flat out face down on my living room floor just sobbing and asking the Lord why. “Lord I’ve given up everything to follow you. Why is this happening to me? I don’t understand!” Then God spoke these words to me so clearly, “Now you know how I felt when my son was beaten and hanging on that cross crying out to me, Father why have you forsaken me. It broke my heart. It wasn’t that I didn’t know where He was, but I left him there to die for the sins of the world.” The pain I was feeling was suddenly overcome by knowing I had identified with the heart of God. I returned to trucking shortly after that. It was a very lonely and dark season in my life, but had it not been for some close friends and the Lord to encourage me, I may have thrown in the towel.

Friend, if you are on the fence for making the decision to follow Christ because of what it will cost, just jump. He will catch you. He is calling your name today. The things or people you may need to leave behind cannot be compared to the eternal life He offers. To those who are suffering, sometimes God uses those things to cause you to look to Him, and other times He wants to reveal His heart to you. Just don’t get angry and turn away from Him. It’s like Peter said, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” My next post 12-9-86 picks up where this one leaves off and will blow your mind as an example of how God honors those who follow Him and don’t turn back.