True Discipleship Requires Sacrifice

"And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him," (Luke 5:11). "Whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple," (Luke 14:33).

From the beginning of time, true disciples of Christ have made sacrifices. In Moses's day, they offered up the firstlings of their flock in similitude of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Although this practice ended with Christ's eternal sacrifice, we are still required to come unto Him in humility and offer up the sacrifice of our hearts (see 3 Nephi 9:19-20).

A true disciple of Christ sacrifices and forsakes all that he hath. That means, we must sacrifice of our time, our energy, our substance, and our hearts if we want to be one of his followers. We are often lured into a sense of complacency and are unwilling to make the sacrifices necessary to increase in faith and serve others. We often put ourselves first and are reluctant to change.

Let me give you a personal example. I've always wanted to study from the scriptures daily. I've tried to create a consistent pattern, but my efforts often fail. Why do they fail? Even though my intentions are good, I am often unwilling to truly sacrifice in order to bring my desire to fruition. Specifically, I treasure my morning sleep and find it hard to sacrifice that sleep in exchange for spiritual food. My reluctance has caused me to ask myself:

"Am I willing to forsake all to be a disciple of Christ?"

Many of us want God in our lives, but aren't willing to sacrifice our time and energy to have him there. We are just too busy. We are reluctant to give of our time to study the scriptures. We tire of giving our energy in selflessness. We withhold our substance if we feel it too big a sacrifice.

So I ask, are we willing to forsake all? Are we willing to give up our morning sleep or our favorite television show? Are we willing to give up that new car or gadget? Are we willing to visit those in need when we feel needy ourselves? Are we willing to offer up our hearts?

As we enter this Christmas season, take the time to consider what sacrifices you can make for your Savior, Jesus Christ. As we make put forth a diligent effort, our sacrifices will begin to feel like opportunities. And as we continue to embrace them, we will see that they aren't really sacrifices at all, but blessings from our Heavenly Father.