What do I need to do to become a disciple of Christ?

As I was doing my scripture study this week, I pondered over what a disciple of Christ is and what characteristics they hold.  Here is a list of a few things that I came up with:

1.    A disciple of Christ gives up all that they have to follow Him.

2.    A disciple of Christ puts their complete trust and faith in the Savior.

3.    A disciple of Christ lives their life in a way that emulates the Savior. 

4.    A disciple of Christ lays up treasures in Heaven instead of putting their love and heart into treasures on earth.

The characteristic that I want to apply more fully in my life is to be sure that I am laying up treasures in Heaven.  I am going to strive to make sure that I continue to be grateful for all that I have been blessed with, instead of being jealous of the things that I do not have (such as a backyard).  I know that the Lord has blessed me with all that I currently stand in need of, and for that, I am truly grateful.  I am also extremely grateful to Him for blessing me with things that I do not necessarily need, but that make my life easier and better.

What is ultimately required to become a disciple of Jesus Christ is to give our whole souls as an offering to Him and to be willing to sacrifice all that we have for Him.  It is also required of us to press forward and to endure to the end.  Sometimes, enduring feels like the hardest part!  However, I know that the Lord can strengthen us as we continually go to Him in prayer and ask Him for comfort, guidance, and strength with whatever we stand in need of.