Practicing discipleship—whether that refers to growing in our own faith or making new disciples—does not mean simply marking off items on a checklist. Instead, it is a customized reality for each Christian. A single "next step" will not apply for every believer. That is, God has something specific He wants you to do.

     Since some believers choose to live their Christian life detached from other believers and the world, they can have no impact. This is the equivalent of failure in God's eyes. It is not an issue of salvation, because their name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. Still, they miss out on an important purpose the Lord has for their lives. Remember that success for the Christian is not merely the avoidance of sin; it is a believer's life so glorifying the Lord that it makes an eternal difference to another person.

     To take the next step of obedience, some people may need to make prayer and Bible study a greater priority. For others, it could mean finally agreeing to teach that Sunday School class or taking a short-term mission trip. For many of you, it might mean enrollment in the Charles Stanley Institute. No matter what the step is, you will need to know what is expected from a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Christ Must Be Our Top Priority

   & nbsp;True disciples allow Christ to live His life through them. Jesus warned that this is a costly proposition, and He urged His followers to consider ahead of time what is involved. (Luke 14:28–31) In fact, the Lord clearly described a major "price tag": "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26). The Greek word translated here as "hate" actually means "to love less." In other words, we are fit to be Jesus' disciples only when our love for Him surpasses our attachment to the most precious things in our life and we obey Him even at the cost of being misunderstood. Nowhere does Scripture imply that the Christian life is easy or that our believing friends and family will agree with us. In fact, our faith journey may well be a painful process.

     Notice what Jesus required of His followers—He called men to give up their vocation of fishing or collecting taxes to follow Him. (Matthew 4:20, 9:9) What do you suppose Matthew, Andrew, or Peter's parents thought about that? They were not necessarily thrilled, just as some fine Christian parents today hesitate, saying, "I want my children to follow the Lord, as long as they do not go overseas," or "I want God to use my children, but I certainly don't want Him to call them into the ministry." From Jesus' point of view, there is not one single acceptable condition—no "if," "but," or "unless"—that can be placed on our unwavering loyalty to Him. In other words, our love relationship must be in the correct priority order: Jesus Christ above everybody else and everything else, no matter what.

     The problem is that much of the Christian world has become so affluent and the church body has degenerated into such weakness that discipleship simply does not fit with our way of thinking. But remember, God will never ask us to do something contradictory to Scripture or inconsistent with Jesus' life. The assignment He gives might seem ridiculous in the eyes of the world, but it will be totally compatible with biblical teachings.

     If you have ever told God you would obey and then hedged on it, you know that God will not give you peace until you are firmly determined to obey. It does not matter whether you hesitate from concern about hurting someone's feelings or for fear of persecution—as long as you stand on the wrong side of obedience, you are not a committed follower of Christ, and God cannot maximize your life's potential. Only when we finally say, "Okay, Lord, I am willing" does He restore our peace.

     Now, many people devote themselves to following a particular pastor, evangelist, or denomination, but that was never God's intention. (1 Corinthians 1:12-17) When Jesus Christ uses the word "disciple," He is talking about following Him, which encompasses a willingness to take whatever step He requires, even if the repercussions should prove severe.

Disciples Must Die to Self

     In   Luke 14:27, Jesus mentions a second cost of discipleship when He says, "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." People often refer to some physical sickness or heartache as their "cross," but that is not what this verse means. In the first century, the cross was an instrument of execution; you would grasp the meaning more easily if the verse read, "Whoever does not carry his own electric chair . . ." What Jesus is saying is that His disciples have to choose death to the self-life and attach themselves to Him. Picking up our cross also speaks of a willingness to suffer pain, persecution, and shame on Christ's behalf. It does not refer to bearing criticism and reproach for our own sin, but rather means enduring rejection that glorifies the living God.

     Ask yourself, To what am I attached? There is nothing wrong with enjoying relationships or belongings as long as possessions and emotional attachments do not supersede the Lord in importance. A genuine follower of Jesus Christ sinks very shallow roots into the world. The truth is, you and I must be available to do whatever God says and to go wherever He directs, at any moment, regardless of what His choice may be.

     To be God's disciples, we must detach from this world and be attached to Christ—not to possessions, ideologies, or relationships. We must follow Jesus, whatever the cost, even if it means turning down career advancement or breaking off a relationship. Should you lose a promotion out of obedience to God, He will no doubt promote you in His own time. And when He does, the outcome will be far better.

      Luke 14:33 says, "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions." There must come a time in your life when you say, "God, it's all Yours. Do with it as You choose." The real question is not, How much do you have? but, How much of you does God have?

     Disciples cannot make concessions to the world; compromise and crucifixion are on totally opposite ends of the spectrum. Do you desire to be the Lord's disciple? The Bible reveals the only way: Be willing to take up your cross, to detach yourself from the world's temptations, and to suffer persecution for the cause of Christ. Then attach yourself to the Savior, and make Him your number one priority.

Adapted from Dr. Stanley's message "The Price of Discipleship."