Jesus expects His followers to count the cost and to fully surrender to Him. He never asks His followers to do what He did not do ““ in fact He did more that what He asks of His followers. Following Jesus requires a life of self-sacrifice and also requires a focus on what pleases God.

Surrendering to Jesus means giving up our own desires and to follow Him, period. Followers of Jesus are to believe what He says in the Holy Bible ““ those are His words to us, and He means what He says. He does not ask us to “˜pick and choose”™ what pleases us, we are to listen and obey all of His words.

Jesus gave another example of His expectations for His followers:

(NASB) Luke 14:31-32 “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

32 Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.”

Those who say they are followers of Christ, have you considered the cost to you? Have you considered God”™s terms of peace? For any who follow Christ, have you recognized the Might and Majesty of God and His power compared to your “˜strength”™ and “˜might”™?

(NIV) Luke 14:33 “In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.”

Jesus”™ expectation of His followers is full surrender to Him. He is mightier, stronger, and more powerful than any person ““ no matter their position of power in this world. Jesus the Christ is the One to Whom we need to surrender, seeking His conditions of peace. Those conditions of peace are accepting Jesus as Savior and Lord.

Have you counted the cost of following Christ? If so, you can know that He will be faithful in seeing through to the end!

Have you surrendered your “˜self”™, your will and your life so that you meet the terms of peace dictated by God Himself?