What Are You Willing To Give Up?

Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down with his counselors to discuss whether his army of 10,000 could defeat the 20,000 soldiers marching against him? And if he can't, he will send a delegation to discuss terms of peace while the enemy is still far away. So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own. Luke 14:31-33

Don't be a pig. Let go of your stuff.
Put Jesus first in your life.
Follow Him.

Meditate. What have you got to lose?

 

Jesus told His disciples and other followers that they had to give up everything to follow Him. Everything. Peter, James, John and Andrew gave up their fishing…fish, nets, boats, life at the Sea of Galilee…to follow Jesus when He called to them…“Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19. Note that James and John even left their father, Zebedee, to follow Jesus. Do you think that they counted the cost like those kings about to go to battle? Did they stop to figure out how much income they would lose? I don’t think so. The Rabbi was calling them to come…whereas usually the disciple asks the Rabbi if he can follow. Big switch. They gave up everything…can we do the same? What do I need to “give up” to follow Jesus? What do you need to give up to follow Jesus?

What do we learn about Jesus from this Scripture passage today?

 

Prayer – Jesus, I hear You calling, “Follow Me….” Are you asking me to do what You asked the religious leader who came to You asking what he must do to inherit eternal life? You answered… "There is still one thing you haven't done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Luke 18:22. You are my treasure in heaven. Whatever it takes…I will follow You.

 

Verse of Salvation ~ Finally, dear brothers and sisters, we urge you in the name of the Lord Jesus to live in a way that pleases God, as we have taught you. You live this way already, and we encourage you to do so even more. 1 Thessalonians 4:1

 

© 2026 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved. 

Portions of today’s devotion recycled from August 10, 2017, Banquet With The King blog.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted. 

New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. 

Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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