Sometimes becoming a disciple entails real sacrifice, even at a young age…
Annie visited her aunt in New Delhi last year during her summer vacation. Her aunt Sheila has been a disciple for a few years.
She is the principal of one of the HOPE schools. Annie attended church with her aunt. She loved the fellowship, she loved the sermons… Annie started studying the Bible but she had to go back to her native place which is in another state of India where we don’t have a church. Annie was only fifteen at the time.
Annie desperately wanted to become a disciple so she spoke to her family about letting her move to New Delhi to live with her aunt. It was a tough decision for a young woman in a country where women live at home until they get married. For Annie that also meant leaving her younger brother as well as her parents. She would also be leaving behind all her friends, a challenging prospect for a teenager, and move to the capital city where life is very different, fast paced, and intense. The city she lived in was very far from Delhi and she would only see her family once a year.
Annie prayed and decided that was what she wanted to do. It was heart wrenching for her. Fortunately her parents were supportive; they trusted Sheila to take care of Annie. This summer Annie came back to Delhi. She is now sixteen. She studied the Bible; there were many tears as she realized the seriousness of her decision, as well as all the normal challenges associated with becoming a disciple.
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In July, Annie was baptized. She is now enrolled in a school here in Delhi. She has started her new life with the support of her aunt Sheila. She loved the church and is already active in the teen ministry.
What sacrifices do we have to make to become disciples? Annie literally left her family behind to follow Jesus. “In the same way, any if you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:33
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