Many mornings when I wake up I hear this voice in my head that quotes scripture to me. It is like the Holy Spirit giving me instructions to follow. I guess he does that because there is nothing competing for his attention first thing in the morning. This morning it happened. The alarm went off and I hear, “Sell all you have and come follow me”. I am like, ” huh?!”
This is something I have contemplated in the past, especially as I read Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s book “The Cost of Discipleship’.
In response to Matthew 6:19-24 Bonhoeffer writes,
“The life of discipleship can only be maintained so long as nothing is allowed to come between Christ and ourselves…”
“And if we ask how we are to know where our hearts are, the answer is just as simple - everything which hinders us from loving God above all things and acts as a barrier between ourselves and our obedience to Jesus is our treasure, and the place where our heart is.”
“Worldly cares are not a part of our discipleship, but distinct and subordinate concerns. Before we start taking thought for our life, our food and clothing, our work and families, we must seek the righteousness of Christ.”
If we think about the parable Jesus told of the sower and the seed… The Gospel got choked out by the “the cares and riches and pleasures of life”.
