Being a Disciple of Christ Requires Sacrifice

It is as though the Savior issued a warning, "It is not easy to follow me. Therefore, you had best consider the sacrifice required before becoming a disciple."

Since studying Luke 14, I have been thinking about the principle of sacrifice. I can't shake the recurring thoughts, so I might as well write about them and share them with you! 

This section of Luke is straightforward and a little intense!

Verse 26 hit me square in the face:

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26)

That struck me as a contradiction since we are taught to love one another, especially our family members. 

Hoping for clarity, I looked to The Joseph Smith Translation (JST) of verse 26:

"If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, or husband, yea, and his own life also; or in other words, is afraid to lay down their life for my sake, cannot be my disciple." 

Okay, that's more clear. Our commitment is to honor our covenant with Christ before other personal obligations.

And makes sense when I think about it. If we all lived following the principles taught by Christ, the other temporal aspects of life would also be in harmony. How great would that be?

A sincere disciple must be willing, if necessary, to give up everything. Even their family or friends if one or more family members become a clear threat to the celestial objective.

But the Savior is clear in His warning to not be rash before joining up. Instead, to think through the consequences of following Him.

After all, a man does not build a tower without first considering the cost to make sure he can finish construction (v. 29). Nor does a king go to war without first consulting with his advisors to consider the strength of the enemy (v. 31).

Sacrifice goes hand-in-hand with membership in the Church and is required to be considered "valiant in the testimony of Jesus" and obtain the celestial kingdom (D&C 76:79).

I am often overwhelmed with personal doubt.

I appreciate the importance of sacrifice on a logical level.

But getting my head around the sacrifice necessary to be valiant and earn a place in the celestial kingdom is often a challenge.

Plus, the following excerpts from Sixth Lecture on Faith by Joseph Smith, Jr. (Emphasis added) don't help my celestial self-confidence.

"5. For a man to lay down his all, his character and reputation, his honor and applause, his good name among men, his houses, his lands, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children, and even his own life also, counting all things but filth and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, requires more than mere belief, or supposition that he is doing the will of God, but actual knowledge: realizing, that when these sufferings are ended he will enter into eternal rest; and be a partaker of the glory of God.”

7. Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things. It was through this sacrifice, and this only, that God has ordained that men should enjoy eternal life; and it is through the medium of the sacrifice of all earthly things that men do actually know that they are doing the things that are well pleasing in the sight of God. "When a man has offered in sacrifice all that he has, for the truth's sake, not even withholding his life, and believing before God that he has been called to make this sacrifice, because he seeks to do his will, he does know, most assuredly, that God does and will accept his sacrifice & offering, & that he has not nor will not seek his face in vain. Under these circumstances, then, he can obtain the faith necessary for him to lay hold on eternal life.

8. It is in vain for persons to fancy to themselves that they are heirs with those, or can be heirs with them, who have offered their all in sacrifice, and by this means obtained faith in God and favor with him so as to obtain eternal life, unless they in like manner offer unto him the same sacrifice, and through that offering obtain the knowledge that they are accepted of him." (Excerpts From The Lectures on Faith, Joseph Smith, Jr., eBook #56684, Pp 122 - 125)

All of this adds ample fuel to the fire of my anxiety that I may not measure up.

The voices in my head shout and make it easy to think I'll never make it anyway, so why keep trying? That I should settle and be content with a lower kingdom. 

After all, even the terrestrial and telestial kingdoms are fabulous beyond anything we can comprehend.

But then I recall, reflect upon, and remember some principles that ease my anxiety.

Some sacrifices are easier than others.

For one, giving my life for the cause is pretty easy to swallow as long as it's a quick end.

Even the thought of losing every earthly possession is not that hard to take.

But being ridiculed is more difficult for me.

And the thought of serious conflict with close family members is intolerable!

Not All of Us Are Asked to Sacrifice the Same Things 

What we are asked to place on the sacrificial altar of our convictions varies.

Of course, some are very similar, such as:

• Pride;

• Tithes and offerings;

• Abstinence from certain substances, associations, and behaviors; and

• Ministering.

Just to name a few.

But most sacrifices are as personal and individual as we are different from each other.

One example is the Sabbath oblations required to fulfill our callings. Think of the time spent ministering on our behalf by:

• The President of the Church;

• Apostles;

• Presiding Bishopric;

• The seventies;

• Stake Presidents;

• Bishops and counselors;

• Auxiliary leaders;

• Teachers; and 

• Committee members.

You get the point and can continue the list of the sacrifices made by the different ranks of ecclesiastical leaders compared to the general membership.

Ability and personal emotions also play a role in how the price of sacrifice can be placed on a difficulty spectrum for each of us.

What may be perceived as a simple sacrifice for one person can be nearly impossible for another.

On the one hand, the Stake President possessing radiant charisma and boundless energy comes to mind.

He is a joy to be around, and everyone loves him.

Then on the other end of the spectrum is my friend with unrelenting social anxiety who finds it difficult to leave his home. But occasionally, he still manages to steel up his resolve to extricate himself from his home sanctuary and attend sacrament meetings. 

He sits by himself and gives me a simple wave and a smile before quickly exiting the building after the closing prayer. And that is on a good day.

So, who offers more on the altar of personal sacrifice, The Stake President or my friend?

“And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury.

And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites.

And he said, Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all:

For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had. “ - Luke 21: 1-4

By the way, I bet the happy, gregarious Stake President also has personal challenges to deal with in his own way. 

We all have our personal struggles.

Thomas the Apostle had his moments.

As you may recall, at the time of Lazarus' death, Christ was determined to return to Jerusalem for Martha, Mary, and Lazarus. He loved them. He wept for them.

His disciples tried to convince him not to return to Jerusalem saying, "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?" (John 11:8)

But Thomas was having none of that. On the contrary, he was all in and willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.

"Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him." - John 11:16

I love Thomas for his commitment. I think he meant it too!

But later, even after three years of personal tutoring by Jesus Himself, Thomas struggled with the idea Christ had been resurrected. 

Each of us has our own race to run.

 “And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order. “ - Mosiah 4:27

Life is like a race we are all running together. But we are not competing against each other.

Just because one guy sprints like a cheetah on caffeinated Diet Coke doesn't mean the rest of us need to match his superhero speed. 

Mortality provides a virtual buffet of talents and abilities where each one of us has different goodies on our plates.  

And it's not about the quantity.

It's about how we savor and make the most of what we've got. 

King Benjamin was a motivational speaker in the scriptures, telling us to put our gifts to good use and help others out the best we can.

So, whether you're an Apostle or a sacrament meeting greeter, do your best to give it your all within your personal capacity.

The rest will fall into place.

Our Savior

Our Father in Heaven and His Son are not some panelists on "Mortals Have Talent" who only care about show-stopping performances. 

Our Elder Brother is more like a coach who, with the Holy Ghost as our companion, will guide us, cheer for us, and be there no matter what. 

He atoned for all our shortcomings. 

As long as we strive to do our best, He will intercede and carry each of us across that gulf separating us from our Father in Heaven.

Be Wise and Realistic Regarding Sacrifice

Achieving sacrificial harmony in life may feel like juggling flaming torches while riding a unicycle. 

It's a challenging feat! 

No magic potion or secret formula can do it for us. We can't just sprinkle some "harmony dust" and expect everything to fall into place.

To find that sweet spot, we need some profound self-awareness. We gotta take a good, hard look at our strengths and weaknesses. And then, armed with that knowledge, we can embark on the righteous living adventure, along with some thoughtful meditation and heartfelt prayer.

Also, let's remember our excellent support system - EACH OTHER!

We can be trusty co-navigators in this crazy world of tantalizing temptations, endless distractions, and false promises of pleasure. 

We can help each other distinguish between fleeting worldly achievements and the everlasting blessings from above.

Above all, remaining rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ, along with the sweet companionship of the Holy Ghost, will help us cope even when life throws those overwhelming, unavoidable burdens your way. 

We are each other's secret weapon that helps us stay upright on that unicycle, no matter how many flaming torches you're juggling. 

Don't become so steeped in blind sacrifice as to ruin personal relationships and end up aiming well beyond the required mark.

Let's link arms with anyone who thinks and feels the same way. It's always comforting to have compatriots to support each other as we fight battles on our way to our eternal home.  

Thanks for reading and pondering with me! 

Russell Anderson

P.S. If you like this post, you may enjoy even more content on my website. So go ahead, snoop around!