Another term that was coined by Dallas Willard is non-discipleship. There is a trend in our society toward not taking responsibility for choices and actions. Even sadder is the fact that this appears to be happening in the Church as well. In many congregations today, you can be a Christian without walking the narrow road, paying the price, sacrificing for your neighbor, and serving people. What is often taught is that as long as you pray and ask Jesus into your heart, everything’s fine and you never have to sacrifice again. Although the prayer of salvation is very important, there is also a call to be responsible and moral. This is much more costly in the long run. Becoming a Christian doesn’t just mean that you are saved and go to Heaven when you die, it means that you commit to becoming like Jesus. When you give your life to Him, you surrender and devote yourself to following in His footsteps, no matter how difficult it is and how much you must surrender to get there. 

Friend, there is a cost to discipleship, but the cost of non-discipleship is greater. If you have every recreation this world can offer and Jesus is simply an “eternal life insurance policy,” I beg you to think again. If you focus exclusively on life’s pleasures, you will miss out on finding the most abundant life on earth. A fulfilled existence is one of sacrifice and service, and when you become more like your Savior, you experience peace, tranquility, contentment, and an abiding joy that is supernatural and transcends anything this world has to offer!