Addressing the large crowds that followed Him, Jesus said, “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). Jesus reveals an important truth: Not everyone interested in Jesus has counted the cost of following Him. One must love Jesus above everything else in this life—including their own life. They must be willing to give up everything to be Jesus’ disciple.

Four Questions That Reveal Your Commitment to Christ

So, how do you know if you have counted the cost of following Jesus? According to Luke 14:33, the big question to answer is this: Are you willing to give up everything for Jesus?

Here are four diagnostic questions to help you answer for certain.

1. Are You Willing to Do Whatever God Asks You?

When you decide to follow Jesus, you give up your own life plans. You embrace the reality of Proverbs 16:9: “A person’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.”

God placed you on this earth for a purpose, and you must decide if you will join Him in His plans or try to plan your own way through this life.

2. Are You Willing to Go Wherever God Asks You?

God told Abraham to leave his homeland (Gen. 12:1–4), giving him a promise before revealing the destination. God called Abraham to leave what was familiar and trust Him with the destination.

We are often tempted to follow God on our terms, including the location of where we serve Him. However, that is not “renouncing all that he [or she] has.” Following Jesus means being willing to go wherever God leads, even if it is somewhere you had not imagined.

3. Are You Willing to Go Whenever God Asks You?

Abraham left his homeland when he was 75 years old. Even at an old age, Abraham was obedient to God.

We must be ready for—and obedient to—God’s timing, which is often different from ours. God calls us to faithful obedience, whether His timing feels immediate or delayed. Whether it is age, a financial situation, a relationship status, or a wrench thrown into your plans, you must be willing to go whenever God calls.

4. Are You Willing to Interact with Whomever God Asks You?

Let me state the obvious: This world is filled with a lot of people—a lot of sinful people (Rom. 3:23). I say this to remind you that what God asks of you will involve other people in one way or another, whether it is whom you are moving on from, working alongside, preaching to, counseling, or asking for support.

We can be tight-fisted about what God asks us to do, where He asks us to go, and when He asks us to act. However, when it comes to people, we are more tempted to be tight-fisted about how God wants to do things. But renouncing all that you have means giving up your terms of what interacting with other people looks like. It might involve someone you dislike, someone who has hurt you, someone you think is weird, awkward, or crazy. It may also involve someone you have not had contact with in a while, someone who is not a Christian, or someone you just met in the grocery store. Are you willing to be around whomever God calls you to?

Are you willing to renounce all that you have to follow Jesus? Another way to ask this is: Are you willing to let God determine the “how” of your life? You might be willing to do what God asks you to do, but are you willing to follow His leading in how it happens?

Following Jesus is not about adding Him to an already established life. It is surrendering every part of life to His lordship. The question is not whether Jesus fits into your plans, but whether your life belongs entirely to Him. Talking about Jesus, going to church, going to seminary, and leading Bible studies are not qualifications to be a follower of Jesus. Those who are willing to give up everything they have—including their own lives—are the ones who have counted the cost of following Jesus.

Have you counted the cost?