High Expectations

When Jesus called Levi, the tax collector, the Bible says, “he got up, left everything, and followed him” (Luke 5:28). It would seem from the Biblical record that if people are not willing to drop everything in the beginning, then when it is all said and done, the likelihood of dropping anything is slim. Maybe that is one of the most difficult obstacles of discipleship; the willingness to leave it all behind and follow a new Way.
It is true that sometimes we don’t want to hear that anything is required of us, but other times it is exactly what we need to hear. Anytime we are asked to “join” an organization or team, we want to know what is required of our time and us. It has become common for recruiters to give say what they think people want to hear, “oh not much, just show up when you can.” But not so fast my friend.
Just maybe people are more like Levi than we give them credit. Just maybe church participation is down because people want more than to just “show up,” or maybe people want not just expectations, but high expectations; maybe when they ask, “what will be required of me?” The answer should be, “everything.” If we want to faithfully invite people to follow Christ, then we need to show them that much will be required. The expectation won’t be to show up on Sunday mornings, but to actually allow the Gospel to transform their lives even when that means leaving it all behind and following Him.