Let me first preface this by saying its pretty deep and digs down to the core of who you are as a Christian so if you arent ready for a little poking at the soul then you might want to skip it but I hope you dont this is good stuff.
We were reading in Sunday School the other day and came across a scripture that I havent given much thought in a long time
LUKE 14:25-35
The Cost of Being a Disciple
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters yes, even his own life he cannot be my disciple. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'
31"Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If 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. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.
34"Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
"He who has ears to hear, let him hear."
This is kind of heavy. So many times we are focused so much on saving souls and being the good Christian but do we fully understand what that means. Did you sit down and estimate the cost of what it is to be a follower of Christ before you jumped aboard?
I think that is why the church today has so little influence and respect with non-believers. We are known as hypocrites and for the most part, you cant tell us apart from the rest of the world. If we were fully aware of the cost that is involved and the importance placed upon it, there would be stronger believers and a stronger body of Christ.
What Jesus was saying to these people was you have to make Him your one and only priority holding nothing, not your family or even your own life, above Him. If you have anything else you hold more valuable, you will never make it.
Carrying your cross was a mark of shame back in the day. So not only is he asking you to disregard your family and life (as far as priorities go) but also to bear the mark of shame.
Its important to reach people and to save souls for Jesus but I think its equally important to make them aware of what they are getting themselves into before taking that leap.
Its not just a simple prayer.
Its a full commitment of reckless abandonment of self.
It's tough but so worth it!
Are you ready?
Have you estimated the cost?
I believe Paul said it the best:
But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more; I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christthe righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.
~Philippians 3:7-11
I am not saying that I have this figured out or that I'm even close to it. I will admit there are things that I have held back from God as most of us have. But I am willing to try. I understand God's grace...but I also understand his expectations.
Food for thought.
