Scripture:

“One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, ‘Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple. Is there anyone here who, planning to build a new house, doesn’t first sit down and figure the cost so you’ll know if you can complete it? If you only get the foundation laid and then run out of money, you’re going to look pretty foolish. Everyone passing by will poke fun at you: ‘He started something he couldn’t finish.’

 

Or can you imagine a king going into battle against another king without first deciding whether it is possible with his ten thousand troops to face the twenty thousand troops of the other? And if he decides he can’t, won’t he send an emissary and work out a truce?
 

Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple’.” Luke 14:25-33 (MSG)
 

Perspective:

As Jesus was talking to the crowds of people, He had an unpopular message to tell them. In order for them to follow Him, they were going to have to let go of things and people that were a priority to them. In light of their devotion to God, their devotion to other things were to be pale in comparison. Yet, Jesus didn’t want people to embrace this journey without first counting the cost. He used the analogy of building a house to illustrate this point. When one decides to build a house, a blueprint is created, and the project follows the plan. While there may be variances to the original plan, the ultimate objective is to complete the house and have enough resources to do so. Stopping the project before it reaches completion creates something that is not useful. The same perspective is used in military combat. Strategizing before embarking on the battle facilitates preparation and readiness. In this conversation, Jesus was pointing to the priorities of the people, which ultimately reflects a person’s devotion.
 

While we initially decide to follow Jesus by committing our hearts and lives to Him, the daily decision to follow Jesus is when reality sets in. It is easy to follow Jesus when we are sitting on a church pew, worshipping the Lord. Yet, it is more difficult to follow Him when Monday morning rolls around and we have pressure, bills, and other demands. Our priorities can become skewed when these items taking a higher precedence over our walk with Jesus. As the New Year arrives, it may be time to get out the “blueprint” again and count the cost of following Jesus this year. To what activities and commitments do you need to say “yes” and “no”? Consider taking some time to really think and pray through your schedule this year. Don’t get confused by comparing the cost of following Jesus to other people around you. In order to follow through with the commitments, we have to be intentional about how we are investing our time. Though the challenge may be to keep Jesus as the priority of our lives, the greatest blessing comes when we commit to doing so. In Matthew 10:38b-39 (MSG), Jesus said, “If your first concern is to look after yourself, you’ll never find yourself. But if you forget about yourself and look to me, you’ll find both yourself and me.” Let’s live the life that God is calling us to this year by making an unwavering commitment to follow Him. When we do, may we experience the blessing that comes from a life fully devoted to God.
 

Scripture taken from THE MESSAGE. Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002.  Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. 

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About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

 

 

 

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