Pastor Tricia's Ramblings

Jesus never sugarcoated the cost of following Him. He didn’t lure crowds with comfort or popularity. He called them to die to themselves and live for Him alone.

In Luke 14:26, Jesus said something that still shocks us today:

“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters—yes, and even his own life—he cannot be My disciple.”

Those are hard words. They sound almost contradictory to everything else Scripture teaches. The same God who commands us to honor our father and mother (Exod. 20:12) and to love our wives as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25) is now saying that unless we “hate” them, we can’t follow Him.

But Jesus isn’t giving a mixed message. He’s revealing the depth of allegiance that true discipleship demands.

Provocative Words with a Purpose

Jesus often used provocative language to shake people awake. He was not teaching hatred in the emotional sense; He was teaching priority. Our love and loyalty to Him must be so complete that every other relationship—even the closest ones—looks like hatred in comparison.

We see this same language in Romans 9:13, where Paul quotes Malachi 1:2–3: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.” God wasn’t expressing emotional contempt for Esau. He was expressing choice—He chose Jacob for His purpose.

In the same way, Jesus calls us to choose Him over everything and everyone else. He must be first. If our ultimate allegiance is not to Jesus, we are not His disciples.

The Illusion of Comfortable Christianity

In Luke 9:57–62 and Matthew 8:21–22, Jesus meets would-be followers who want to serve Him—just not at the cost of their comfort. One says, “I will follow You wherever You go,” but Jesus replies, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.” Another says, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father,” and Jesus answers, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

We read those verses and wrestle with them. Why would Jesus sound so harsh? Because He’s confronting divided hearts. He’s saying, If you want to follow Me, there can be no “first let me…”.

Allegiance and the First Commandment

Modern theologian Kevin DeYoung once wrote, “If we are to follow Christ, we must leave behind idolatry.” That statement echoes the first commandment:

“You shall have no other gods before Me” (Exod. 20:3).

The idols of our age don’t always look like statues or shrines. They’re subtler—and more seductive. Our gods may be education, career, relationships, image, influence, fitness, or success. They might even be good things—like family, marriage, or ministry—that we’ve turned into ultimate things.

If we find our worth, value, or happiness in anything other than Jesus, we’ve placed another god before Him.

We tell ourselves,

If I only had that job, I’d be happy.

If I only looked like her, I’d feel loved.

If I only had more money, I’d finally feel secure.

Whatever fills that blank has become your idol.

When Fitness Became My Idol

For me, that idol was fitness. For years, I believed that if I could just lose enough weight, if I could look like “that person,” then maybe—just maybe—I would be good enough to be loved.

But that pursuit wasn’t healthy—it was a form of worship. My god was an eating disorder. I gave it my time, my thoughts, my emotions, and my energy. I tried to please it. I sacrificed peace for perfection.

And then, in His mercy, God intervened. He reminded me that I was His child, that I didn’t have to earn His approval, and that He alone was worthy of my devotion.

It took years to walk out of that bondage. And even in healing, I sometimes found myself running back to the familiar comfort of control—my addiction, my obsession, my “safe place.” But each time, God met me there and gently called me back to Himself.

One Christmas morning, He got my attention in a way I couldn’t ignore. I was deep in my fitness obsession, pushing my body beyond limits. I wouldn’t slow down. I wouldn’t be still. Then, I fell and broke my arm. For three months, I couldn’t lift, train, or even walk on a treadmill without pain.

God had silenced the idol. In that stillness, I heard Him again. My pursuit of perfection gave way to His pursuit of me.

When Good Things Become “God” Things

Maybe your idol isn’t fitness. Maybe it’s your marriage, your dream job, your kids, your reputation, or your influence. None of these things are evil. In fact, they’re often gifts from God. But every good thing is not a God thing.

When good things become ultimate things, they take the place of Jesus. And anything that takes His place—no matter how noble—becomes an idol.

Following Jesus means we lay every idol down. It means we surrender our “if onlys” and “one days.” It means we trust Him with our desires and believe He alone is enough.

The Cost No One Talks About

We live in a culture that loves to talk about the blessings of following Jesus—abundance, favor, overflow, victory. Those things are real, but they’re not the whole story. Between the prayer of salvation and the promise of blessing lies something we don’t like to talk about: obedience.

Obedience that costs us something. Obedience that leads to death—not a physical death, but the death of the old self.

Jesus said in Luke 9:23,

“If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

We die to self so that Christ can live in us and through us. This isn’t a one-time decision; it’s a daily surrender.

Divided Loyalties

So the question becomes: Have we truly died to self? Or do we still have loyalties that belong to the world?

Years ago, I heard a story that captures this question vividly. It was said to have taken place in Russia during the time of communist persecution. A group of Christians was gathered for worship when soldiers burst into the room, guns drawn.

One soldier barked, “If you are not truly a Christian—if you will deny Christ—you can walk out that door right now.”

Some people got up and left. The rest knelt down, ready to die.

After a moment, the soldier locked the door, laid down his weapon, and said, “Now we can worship safely. I wanted to be sure I was among true believers.”

That story may be legend, but the question it raises is real: Where is your allegiance?

Would you have walked out? Or would you have stayed?

Allegiance in an Age of Comfort

Today, we aren’t usually tested at gunpoint. Our tests come in subtler forms—when obedience costs us friends, opportunities, comfort, or reputation. But make no mistake, the call is the same.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:34–36,

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword… a man’s enemies will be the members of his household.”

That doesn’t mean Jesus delights in division. It means that following Him divides—because loyalty to Him will always conflict with the values of this world.

The gospel isn’t about adding Jesus to our lives; it’s about giving Him our lives. Allegiance to Christ costs everything. And yet, it gives us more than we could ever gain on our own.

The Call to Choose

So today, where do you stand? Is your allegiance divided? Have you made peace with idols that compete for your worship?

Jesus is still calling disciples the same way He did in the Gospels—clearly, honestly, and without compromise. He doesn’t beg us to follow Him; He invites us to follow Him. But the invitation requires a choice.

It’s not about perfection—it’s about priority. Who comes first in your life? What gets your devotion, your time, your thoughts, your love?

Allegiance means Jesus comes before all of it.

So live bold. Live set apart. Live fully for Christ.

Because in the end, allegiance to Jesus isn’t loss—it’s life.