Count The Cost

Luke 14:27-33 (ESV)
²⁷  Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.
²⁸  For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?
²⁹  Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,
³⁰  saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’
³¹  Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?
³²  And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.
³³  So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

I wonder how many of us have truly counted the cost for following Jesus? Let's be honest. For scores of church people they have never paid a cost for Christianity. Not only that, they have never even considered paying a cost. It has never crossed their minds. They have never sacrificed their time or their money. Their faith is dead. Worship is ritualistic more than reality. 

There is a cost to following Jesus. Read [Matt 16:24] [Gal 2:20] [Gal 6:14] and [Phil 3:7-8] for starters. The true cost to follow Jesus is to come to Him and die.  To renounce any and every claim on our lives. To lose your life in order to gain real life. In essence Jesus is calling us to give up something we cannot keep in our grasp in exchange for a better spiritual future we can never lose. 

I see so many striving and straining to hold onto life here. Money. Possession. Status. All of these are temporary. People who do this are chasing after the wind as the writer of Ecclesiastes puts it. Jesus wants all of us. No holding back. A total commitment. A sold out life. A consecrated life. A dedicated life. An all in life. 

When we resist such a life we are to be pitied as fools. We are vainly holding onto an illusion. We are exchanging our lives for a lie that'll never last. We are laboring for a payday paid in fake Monopoly money. We are held in bondage to this world thinking if se strive hard enough and long enough we will finally get the fulfillment and joy we are searching for. We are fools to believe this lie.

It is easier to sell out souls to vain religious systems that do not profit our souls but keeps us comfortable. To truly follow Jesus you must be willing to be uncomfortable. Following Him often leads to discomfort. We must count the cost. Who knows where He might lead you and me? Who knows what He may call us to do, to sacrifice, and to suffer all for His sake? The cushioned comfortable, callused, causal life of most church people has little cost. Minimal effort and devotion are required. Just show up for religious meetings.

Jesus demands all. All our love. All our money. All our talents. All our time. All our days. All our passion. All our devotion. All our trust. How few are willing to pay this price.

I find myself wanting to give more, to follow after Him more relentlessly, harder, and to seek Him more earnestly. Yet, I know in pursuing these things there is a cost to pay. I have already paid that price.

Jesus lead me to step down from the church I had served as pastor the past six years. I had not other ministry to go to. No guaranteed source of income and financial security. His call was to follow Him and trust Him. I did so in faith. That was three and a half months ago. Since that time all efforts to find secular employment have been met with closed doors. I have not had a steady salary for the past 103 days. The only finances I have contributed to our family have been the gifts God stirred people to send and  support us and the preaching opportunities He has opened.

To follow His leadership meant a cost had to be paid. In the past three months God has drawn me closer and deeper in prayer. He has provided time and time again. Many times it has been at the last moment but over and over again He has come through. We have food in the pantry. We have bills paid. We have clothes to wear. We never have surplus but we have enough. We do not always know where it will come from but He does provide. We have not publicized our needs. He has met and will continue to meet them. We keep trusting and following and He keeps giving us opportunities to brag on Him. But hear me clearly. There has been a price to be paid.

Following Him means counting the cost. I have traveled to many different towns and churches I have never been to before. That has meant many days and late nights of driving. There have been times when we traveled great distances to minister God's word and no financial compensation could be offered. We went on faith and we continue in faith. It has never been about the money. It has always been about following Jesus. We have counted the cost at times out of our own pockets.

Today as I prayerfully scan the horizon of my life I intentionally take to heart counting the cost of following Jesus no matter where He leads. He may not lead down easy paths. He may not lead down comfortable lanes into cozy hamlets. He may lead to hard places to deal with hard hearts. He may keep me away from family for extended periods of time. He may require even more financial sacrifice. He may lead to places that stretch me and make me uncomfortable. That is all part of counting the cost.

If I truly come to Jesus and die the cost will never matter. If I truly set my eyes on the goal of heaven none of the suffering and sacrifice down here will deter me. I will keep in mind all of this is temporary. O Jesus, make me willing to count the cost and pay the price no matter where you lead.