When a person wants to build something like a house, their first step usually isn’t to start building right away. They first calculate how much it would cost to build the house. They count the cost of the project to see if they actually have the means to go ahead and start building. And once they are sure that they have the means to do so, they start the building process right away without hesitation. And since they were sure that they had the means, they are fully committed to the building process.
In life, there is a cost to everything. A cost to have a good car, a cost to go to school, a cost to travel the world, you name it. And while we are aware of all these different costs, are we aware of what it costs to follow Jesus? Have we truly counted the cost of being His disciple? In Luke 14:33 (read verses 28-32 for context), Jesus says:
So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.
Being a disciple of Jesus Christ goes way deeper than just professing that you’re a Christian. It goes deeper than just having a Bible scripture in your bio on social media or being fluent in Christianese (knowing the terms/jargon associated with Christianity). Being a disciple of the Most High means laying down your very life. It means forsaking all that you have, all that you know, all the things that your flesh desires/loves so very much, for Him. Just in verse 26 Jesus says that:
If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.
Can you imagine!? Now, Jesus is not saying that we should literally hate our mother & father, our siblings, and even our own lives. But what He is saying is that our love for Him should exceed the love we have for such people. Our devotion to Him should be greater than our devotion to man, our devotion to our careers, our devotion to our callings, etc. Let us make up our minds to truly follow Jesus, with no need of turning back. For Jesus says this in Luke 9:62:
No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God.
So what are we willing to give up so that we may follow Him? What are we willing to lay down so that we may pick up our crosses and truly follow Him? Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice: giving up His very life for us, for the world. So that we may be reconciled back to the Father. And so if Jesus was willing to do such an act, how much more should we be willing to lay down any and everything that distracts us from truly serving and following Him? Let us be willing to lay down our entire lives, knowing that when we lose our lives, we will actually find them.