Following Jesus Means Counting the Cost So We Can Finish Well
OPENING PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, help me be open-handed with my life and grow in my trust in you. Amen.
“And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
Or, suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.”
Luke 14:27-33 (NIV)
REFLECT:
A couple of years ago Jesus stirred my heart and was nudging me to move to Alaska for a season and I wrestled with the decision. Every day in my quiet time Jesus would bring it up and nudge me. I knew in my heart I had no choice but to go. I told my co-workers why I was resigning, and I was told I was a fool. I told my mom I was moving to Alaska, and I told the rest of my family and friends. Long story short, going to Alaska was one of the greatest things Jesus has ever done in me. I saw him provide for me in ways I didn’t think were possible. I saw him move in powerful ways. >p>
Before we say “yes” to following Jesus our lives were self-centered around us. It’s about what we want to do, who we want to hang out with, and where we want to live. When we accept Jesus into our hearts and begin to follow him, it often becomes difficult for one common reason: Jesus keeps calling us to abandon our desires and trust him fully.
APPLY:
For somebody reading this, Jesus may be nudging you to let go of your comfort. The cost of following Jesus for you may be that you need to go live somewhere else so you can actually reach the people Jesus has laid on your heart. Maybe for you, the cost is quitting your job in faith and starting that non-profit you feel Jesus nudging you to do. The cost for you may be simply to reach out to a long-lost family member who needs the hope of Jesus in their life. The cost may be to reach out to the neighbor in your neighborhood and begin walking alongside them.
The cost may not make sense right now, but Jesus will provide for you through it all. He’ll show up for you in ways you didn’t think were possible just like he did for me. More often than not, the people who see Jesus move the most in their lives are the ones who were willing to give up the most.
CLOSING PRAYER:
Jesus, help me follow you with all my heart and be willing to have faith deep enough to do anything for you. Amen.
CONTINUED READING:
Hebrews 10:35-39