Luke 14:28 NIV – ‘Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it?’
In some societies, students are expected to identify and commit to their major or career path as they transition from high school to college. The downside to this approach is that a teenager is not insightful enough to ascertain the challenges inherent in their profession. Sometimes the students realize they are in the wrong profession and have to retrain for another career.
Similarly, many of us said ‘yes’ to Jesus as a young believer. This ‘yes’ started a race and not soon after we realized that there are bumps, potholes, injuries, and sickness – just to mention a few – along the way. Our response to the challenges can be very telling of whether we truly counted the cost of our Christian faith.
Counting the cost of your Christian faith is similar to envisioning yourself as a race runner determined to pass the finished line to receive the prize. Such an athlete joyfully counts the cost of early morning training as very little compared to the reward. Sore muscles and aching joints don’t deter them.
Think about the mindset of Olympic athletes; The desire to win a gold medal pushes them to go to any length in disciplining themselves and exercising self-control in all things. Are you grieving? Are you fainting, weary, discouraged and almost giving up? The prize is worth the price and Jesus paid the ultimate price with His death.
PRAYER: Lord, I have decided to follow You. Help me hold firm to my faith no matter what it costs because I know the prize is worth it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.