As we seek to prepare the way of the Lord this Advent, we might want to ponder what is titled “Conditions of Discipleship” in the New American Bible as a means to encourage ourselves and open our hearts a bit wider to welcome the Child Jesus.

In the Gospels of Mark and Luke, Jesus teaches that a person who saves his life will lose it, “but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” The Gospel of Matthew has a similar teaching, with the word “finds” instead of “save” (Mt. 10:39).

In picturing that statement, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is the person who literally dies for Jesus as a martyr for his/her faith. Those heroes are inspiring.

But they are few. The rest of us can consider joining the multitudes around the world who live for Jesus, losing their lives day after day for His sake. With their eyes on Him, they pick up their crosses every day and follow. They serve Jesus by spreading His Good News through deliberate kindness as they help the poor, the lonely, the ill, the despairing and others in need.

Some of those lives will look the part — devoted to assisting a specific, downtrodden, forgotten or vulnerable population, perhaps as part of a small group effort or maybe as members of a religious community. Entire lives can be immersed in, and defined by, all-encompassing service in Jesus’ name.

When invited and called by Jesus to participate in such ministries, we are free to decide whether to lose our lives for His sake — or not. As with any big choice, those decisions will mean a “death” to other options, so they should not be made lightly.

God gives such a lifetime call to some. But most of us are presented with invitations to serve others in ways that blend into regular life.

The more we say yes to such offers, the more Jesus-centered — and unselfish — our lives will be, which sounds rather lovely. But that level of service, when it is done well, will fit the “white martyrdom” designation. That greater depth is not automatic, and many, if not most, people don’t stretch themselves out to embrace it.

For example, some people serve in terrific ministries but are motivated mostly by the perks of their service. Students may gain points for school and adults may discover new social outlets, for example.

God Himself might well be the source of such caveats as He works to encourage fledgling disciples and prepare them for even greater things.

As He begins to offer those “greater” things, we may find ourselves in service that is not life-giving for us, perhaps to the point of being distasteful, draining, scary, insulting or not suited to our personality and skills. As God’s up-and-coming white martyrs we can realize that we are learning how to soldier on, and our Jesus-centered motivations gradually overshadow the lesser ones.

An even more interesting — and spiritually-beneficial — challenge is when our greater sacrifices are hidden from others. Perhaps we feel called to be an anonymous donor. Maybe our work is not appreciated by those receiving assistance. There might be an abundance of criticism and a lack of support from the community or from family and friends.

We become holy as we continue on in spite of obstacles and disappointments. More and more we work for God alone. We learn how to be disciples that are true, through thick and thin. We become able, like the shepherds that first Christmas, to walk through darkness to reach the Christ Child.

The goal, after all, is to practice handing over our lives to that humble Jesus, learning how to let Him call the shots, direct the actions and make decisions that we would not choose on our own. Once Jesus has such a servant, He can do amazing work through him or her.

As the Church begins its new liturgical year and the Year of Mercy, let’s gear up our own servanthood and become that greater kind of disciple.