Introduction
Do you count the cost before you invest your time, money, and effort into a long term commitment? Perhaps one of the great failings of man is the failure to learn the lesson that Jesus taught during His earthly sojourn.
Do you remember the passage in Luke where Jesus uses the concept of counting the cost before a person undertakes a project?
‘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? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’ ‘Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.’ Luke 14:28-33
There is a great lesson in the passage referred to that many people overlook in the process of life. The greatest and perhaps most important event that is overlooked as a person lives their life is,
‘How do I know that I will be successful in life? How will I know whether I have selected the right person for my mate? How can I be assured that I am rearing my children correctly? How will I know whether my life will really count for anything worthwhile?’
Indeed, I suspect many people ask themselves these questions as they leave childhood and began to understand the realities of living in the world. Yet, these questions and considerations of living life may be answered simply by listening to Jesus Christ in this passage.
Whenever we leave childhood we ought to ‘count the cost’ of building a life with or without God in our lives. We will be wise to consider all of the facts that a healthy, prosperous, peaceful, and reverent life will benefit us if we commit our lives to serving the ‘one true God’.
Some of the promises offered by God for faithful Christian living are found in the Bible, please note the following:
1. Without God’s Instruction we cannot direct our own steps.
‘LORD, I know that people’s lives are not their own; it is not for them to direct their steps.’ Jeremiah 10:23
2. Christ will help us and share our problems and our joys.
‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.’ Matthew 11:28-30
3. Jesus will mediate our prayer requests (i.e. act as our advocate to the Father).
‘For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.’ 1 Timothy 2:5-6
4. Finally after a lifetime of faithful service.
‘Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown.’ Revelation 2:10
Christ will welcome us into that eternal Heaven prepared for the Righteous.
