In yesterday’s reflection, we realized that the image of God in our hearts is also influenced by how we understand His requirements for us as disciples. If we misunderstand the underlying reasons for these requirements, it will greatly affect the image of God in our hearts, as well as our mutual identities and roles in our relationship with God. In serious cases, this can become an obstacle in our relationship with God and a stumbling block to becoming a disciple that is up to Jesus’s standard. It is evident that having a correct understanding of this aspect holds great significance for a Christian who takes their relationship with God and the fulfillment of the disciple’s mission seriously!

In the process of establishing a relationship with us, God’s focus is not only on forming an emotional bond or attempting to win our favour by any means, as this is not the focus of His love for us. God’s greatest desire is that we can receive salvation.

This involves how we make good use of our time on earth, how we live according to the teachings of Jesus, how we actively respond to the evangelizing mission that He has entrusted to us, and the individual callings from the Father. Throughout the process, God hopes that we continually sanctify ourselves, becoming more and more like Christ, ultimately entering heaven in a state of holiness, forever united with God and never to be separated from Him.

In the process of establishing a relationship and obtaining salvation, our responses and actions play a crucial role.

Whether it is faith or our relationship with the Lord, it is not merely about intellectual knowledge or the cultivation of emotional bond, but it also takes practical actions for the manifestation of a faith that is both genuine and mature.

Therefore, to fully live out one’s faith, it is not enough to meet the minimum requirements of being a Christian. Avoiding sinning or strictly adhering to rules and creeds alone cannot fulfill the conditions and requirements set by Jesus for us as Christians. We also need to understand that “Christian” and “disciple” are synonymous. As Christians, we cannot deny that we also play the role of disciples. All followers of Christ are His disciples.

Therefore, in the Gospel that we reflected upon yesterday, when Jesus presented the conditions for being His disciple to the crowd, He was speaking to each of us as His followers. In Luke 14:28-32, Jesus continued His teaching on this topic, saying: “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it. Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.” (Luke 14:28-32)

Here, Jesus painstakingly gives us two examples to illustrate that, just as in any undertaking, we must first calculate the cost and be aware of the sacrifices needed to achieve our goals.

Similarly, as Christians, we need to earnestly understand and practice the various requirements that Jesus commands, being prepared to make the necessary effort and pay the cost. The prerequisite is that we must possess an unwavering spirit of sacrifice to consistently implement Jesus’s demands without giving up halfway.

We can sense the seriousness of Jesus, which is equivalent to cautioning us not to take on the role of a Christian lightly. The meaning between the lines is: “If you want to follow me, don’t do things halfway without completing it wholeheartedly! If you’re not going to do it seriously, you might as well not do it!” It’s that clear.

This aligns with the description of God’s sentiments in Revelation 3:15-16:

Let us all take this to heart, and understand that the nature of God’s love for us is not to condone our complacency but rather to express a sentiment of a Chinese saying “One who loves deeply rebukes earnestly.”

Reflection

In your relationship with God, do you tend to focus on pursuing knowledge, emotional connection, or do you also earnestly take action to fulfill the requirements Jesus has for you as a disciple?

Do you find Jesus’s requirements for disciples reasonable? Why?

Now, I invite you to open your heart before the Lord and feel God’s genuine love for you once again.

Today’s Prayer

Lord Jesus, today You’ve allowed me to sense the fatherly affection You share with the Father, and it truly makes me understand the challenges You face. While You desire emotional closeness with me, You also hope that through Your gentle guidance and discipline, I can thrive and grow amidst life’s difficulties and constant trials. May my faith and spiritual life mature so that I can effectively use my life, striving to fulfill Your requirements for me as Your disciple. I aim to gradually become more like You and align with Your heart’s desires.

I acknowledge that I’ve consistently disappointed You in the past and misunderstood You in various ways, making You sad. Now, I sincerely invite You to enter my life as the Lord, and reveal to me Your deep love and all the hardships within it.

Fundraising Appeal

The following is the “Farmer of Hearts: Finding God in All Things” team, including FLL staff and volunteers.
Please kindly pray for them. May God protect them and sustain their physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Project Manager: Michael Lam
Writer: Paul Yeung
Editors: Bonny Chan, Rosa Tse
English Editors: Bonny Chan, Paul Yeung
Mandarin Editor: Anthony X.
Cantonese Narrator: Margaret Woo
English Narrator: Bonny Chan
Mandarin Narrator: Rene Ren
Audio Editors: Fonte Ip, Sander Lee, Margaret Woo
YouTube Editors: Fonte Ip, Sander Lee, Arnold Chan
Graphics: Francis Lai, Rosa Tse
Website: Patricia Young, Angela Wong
Podcast: Angela Wong
Social Media: Yollie Leung, Carmen Tsang, Rosa Tse
Theme Music:
“Friends Only” by Introvert Pianist https://www.youtube.com/@introvertpianist
“Watercolor Lilies” by Aaron Kenny https://youtube.com/@contactkennya