Plainly stated, I believe our actions demonstrate what is important to us. Every year, people spend hundreds of dollars on season tickets to watch their favorite sports team. They spend time in front of the television watching hours and hours of football, baseball, and basketball. We make it a priority to save money for vacations and getaways - we look forward to this time with our families. Some spend thousands of dollars on hobbies and personal interests. None of this is wrong necessarily, it just shows other people what we actually value.
Jesus demands that his followers and disciples value him also, and put their faith first. We are shown in the ten commandments that we are to have no other gods before Him. We are warned by Scripture that to do so eventually leads to spiritual (and sometimes literal) destruction. For example, try focusing all of your energy only on your job for six months. What type of effect would that have on your family, friends, and spouse?
There is an interesting passage in the Gospel of Luke that talks about how you and I are to provide service in the kingdom of heaven. Luke 9:61-62 says, "And another also said, 'Lord, I will follow you, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.' But Jesus said to him, 'No one having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'"
This seems to suggest in a direct way, that perseverance is key when it comes to faith. Now is Jesus telling this person that they literally cannot say goodbye to their relatives prior to going on a long journey? Most likely in reality it means that Jesus is using this verbal exchange as a teaching moment. In other words, we cannot put God on a shelf until such time as serving Him becomes convenient.
Likewise Mark 10:29-30 reads: "So Jesus answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My sake and the gospel's, who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time - houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions - and in the age to come; eternal life.'"
As Christians, we view rewards differently than the rest of society. We recognize that not only can God reward us in the here and now, but also in the next life. We are willing to wait for our "crown." Immediate gratification shows an immature faith, while waiting on sanctification over time demonstrates spiritual mastery.
It's much like the college student, who puts their own life on hold temporarily while they earn a degree. Sure, you could go directly into the workforce right out of high school, but if you go that extra step for a degree - just think what you could accomplish. This exemplifies forward thinking and a willingness to sacrifice for the future good.
Now this type of thing isn't easy of course. So often, God seems to require of us sacrifice and trial in order to follow Him. At times, we may have to endure hardship like Paul, rebellion like Jonah, frustration like Job, and suffering like Stephen. But God is always there ... only ever a prayer away.
Discipleship then, appears to require a cost in order to be successful. It demands our time, our sacrifice, and our persistence. But it isn't without advantages either. Scripture says that God rewards His followers richly and with much love. Look back on some of the things in your own life. How much of it can you trace back to a loving creator? My bet is quite a bit, if we are being honest.
So, get in there and fight for your faith and for your church. Stick to the theology of the Bible and not of man, and have assurance that Jesus is with you - even if other people are not. And when things get difficult, don't look back from the plow.
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