Counting the Cost

Luk 14:27  And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

Luk 14:28  For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

Luk 14:29  Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

Luk 14:30  Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

Luk 14:31  Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

Luk 14:32  Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

Luk 14:33  So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

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Jesus talks of counting the cost of being a disciple of His.  Are we to believe that this is strictly for the disciples of His time or for all His disciples throughout time?  Are we today suppose to bear a cross and follow Him? Are we today suppose to forsake all we have to be His disciple? 

The answers are simply YES!

He is supposed to be the most important thing in our lives and all our lives revolve around HIM. All the love we have to give to others comes FROM HIM. All the things we do should be done with HIM IN MIND. ANY treasures that possess our hearts should be treasures of heaven. WE should not be attached to ANYTHING so much that it takes the place of our Savior. WE should be willing to have NO material possessions if that is the walk we are called to.  Yes, easy for me to say. I cannot dispute that it is easy for me to say because I haven't been asked to give up all my material goods. Only by the grace of God could I remain HIS if I lost them all. God forbid it happen, but God please don't forbid if it means my being HIS always!

Do we count the cost of being HIS?

We think there should be no cost, that it should be easy or for some reason or our God is not a God of love. We associate hard things with cruelty even if it's a minute cruelty.  We want things to be easy and that to us means they are good. The striving we want to do has been confused with simple striving, not hard work striving.  We don't want there to be any cost! Our Savior paid the cost we could never pay but that does not mean we have no striving to do, that we have no cost to count. If we are told to forsake all does that sound like no cost to us? We all have to forsake one very important thing, every single one of us. We must forsake ourselves.

By the grace of God, we must forsake ourselves.

Help us!

In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, please help us be known by YOU and be YOURS WHOLLY YOURS!

Amen.