What does it mean to follow Jesus, if not to deny ourselves, learn contentment, take up the cross of sacrifice and suffering, and go to those in need with the Good News of redemption? Doesn’t following Jesus mean devoting every moment of our time to seeking His Kingdom and living for His glory—the glory of the self-denying One?

Out of compassion you should do without your due allowance of food and clothing so that you may share with your less fortunate brothers and with the poor in general.

  – The Rule of Colmcille, Irish, 9th century[1]

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.

  – 2 Corinthians 8.9

In our generation, many do not like the idea of doing without. Marketers and advertisers, knowing this to be the case, pluck incessantly at the “want-strings” of our hearts, and banks line up beside them to offer us cheap credit for all our heart’s desires. It rarely occurs to us that we don’t really need all the stuff we want. Or that there may be better ways of using our resources than mere self-indugence. Like sharing with those who have far less.

We may be squandering the future of our children and our nation by our covetousness and self-indulgence, running up debt, encouraging our government to debase the money supply with its bailouts, handouts, and other gimmicks for securing political power, and, for many of us, living beyond our means. We are certainly missing opportunities to show the grace of God in tangible ways to those in need in our community.

And still, for too many of us, we want what we want, and we see no reason for not obtaining it if we can. To the extent this describes us, we need to consider whether this is consistent with what it means to follow Christ.

Do we insist on our right to ample leisure time? Do we ever consider that such time might be better spent in reading, study, conversation, or prayer? Or in serving others?

Do we tithe? Or do we expect the Lord to be content with what we have left over, after all our wants have been satisfied?  Perhaps we have not learned to be content with wanting Him above all else?

Too many of today’s Christians differ but little from our unsaved neighbors and friends when it comes to wanting their share of the things of this material and sensual age. Material things are not inherently evil, and, by God’s grace, they can be a source of blessing, especially when we share with those in need. But they can also become idols that capture our hearts more than the Lord and drain away our best energies.

What’s the purpose of all this getting and possessing? All this endless self-indulgence? If we mean to find happiness by it, then this is idolatry. If we’re just addicted to acquiring and indulging things, then we need to discipline our hearts to prefer other objectives.

If, that is, we wish truly to be followers of our Lord Jesus.

Jesus provided the example for all His followers. He gave up His throne, His place at the Father’s right hand, all His heavenly perks and privileges, and took upon His glorious Self the form of a human being. He denied Himself every earthly possession, save the clothes on His back—and they, too, would be taken from Him—so that He might give Himself entirely for the salvation of the world. 

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