Count the Cost

Luke 14:29 NLT
But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?

So often we jump into something but fail to think it through. We are trapped by the clever marketing. Think about how many of those demonstrations on TV are for products you can buy for 3 payments of only $9.99. Or those satellite dish ads for all those stations for only $29 per month. Hidden somewhere is the massive increase starting in month 13 of a 24 month contract.

Counting the cost is not something most of us do. We bought that great house for $100,000 on credit for 30 years not even thinking about the fact that we would be paying back over double the selling price by the time we were done with the mortgage. All we could see was the "low" monthly payment.

How about the excitement over that new car; our dream car. Then when we signed on the dotted line and took ownership we found out our insurance payment went up, we had to pay a sales tax, and if our state has a personal property tax we had to pay a large tax every year. We failed to count the cost.

Well, Jesus warns us here in Luke that there is a cost to being His disciple. A disciple is not one who just attends a church on Sunday. A disciple is willing to give up everything to walk the walk God has prepared for him to walk.

In verse 26 Jesus tells us that "If you want to be my disciple, you must hate everyone else by comparison-your father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even your own life. Otherwise, you cannot be my disciple."

Are we truly ready to be His disciple? Or do we just want to go to church on Sunday?