Discipleship – Counting the Cost

Luke 14:28. “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?”

Making a decision to follow Jesus involves a large cost. Yes, God’s gift of salvation is free – Christ paid the price for our sins when He took our punishment on the cross, but following Him has a steep price tag. It is essential to think about the price before you make a decision to commit yourself as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  In other words, one needs to count the cost.

I am not a very good shopper. In fact I really don’t like it much at all. I go only when necessary, zip through the aisles as quickly as possible, grab what I need, and head to the checkout. Every once in a while I do come across a great bargain. The other day I found it. As I was buzzing through town I stopped at a yard sale. I quickly perused the items, picked up a few things including my one dollar bargain, wrote my check, and left.

Sometime later I stopped to show Grandma my prizes. I was telling her about the one dollar steal when she said, “Sandy, this wasn’t one dollar. It was fifteen dollars.”

“What!” I screamed as I grabbed the purchase. Sure enough, somehow I missed the all important 5 that was written next to the 1. The fact that I did not take the time to count the cost properly cost me 15 times more than I expected.

When we decide to follow Jesus we give our lives completely over to Him. We no longer belong to ourselves but to the One who purchased us through His death. The old way of life, the way of the sinful world, has to be abandoned because we now have a new master.

Though God loves us and desires to give us abundant life as well as eternal life, this doesn’t mean that life will always be easy. There are times when friends and family members will not understand our commitment or the new choices we are making.  They will want the “old you” back. Would you be willing to follow Jesus even if it means losing your family and friends?

Sometimes we are asked to give up personal dreams and goals to be replaced with God’s plan for our lives. Other times He may ask us to move away from loved ones and our roots to go to a place that He has called us to – that’s what Abraham was asked to do. Maybe there will even come a time when we will be asked to die for our faith.

Yes, the cost of salvation is free, but the price of discipleship is very high. Even so, there are some things that are worth a high price. Following Jesus, no matter what price you are asked to pay, is worth every tear, every goodbye, every struggle. Through it all God will never leave you alone. All you need to do is follow Him down a path that He has already travelled before you.

The pleasures of this world last only for a short time and end in death. But by accepting God’s way and paying the price to follow Him wholeheartedly you will receive eternal life. These momentary afflictions produce for us an eternal glory far beyond comparison.

Next time you are looking for a bargain don’t forget to look closely at the price tag. Consider the cost of being a disciple of Jesus carefully. I think you will find it is definitely worth the cost.

Love,

Mama