Count the Cost

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Do you understand what it means to follow God? Do you understand the price you may have to pay?
by Jeremy Lallier

"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish itlest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'

"Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace" (Luke 14:28-32).

These words, spoken by Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, have lost none of their meaning or importance. It's easy to read right over them and not really grasp what is being said. After all, we live in an age of relative peace and religious tolerance. What kind of cost do we have to count, anyway? So many mainstream Christians believe that simply accepting Jesus as their Savior will guarantee them a place in God's Kingdom. But there is so much more to it than that.

First, we must realize that we cannot look back. Jesus pointedly states, "No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:62). Once we put our hand to the plow and decide to follow the way God has intended for us since the beginning of time, we are simply not allowed to turn our backs on the path He has set for us.

Accepting the invitation to join God's family is a serious commitment, not something that can be thrown aside and then picked back up. And we're certainly not allowed to sit around and "go with the flow." The church of Laodicea was reprimanded for this by Christ: "So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth" (Revelation 3:16). We must constantly move forward along the straight and narrow path that we're travelingloafing is not an option.

Once we have set our hand to the plow (begun living Gods way), it is important to realize that we are by no means on Easy Street. This is where it gets tough. Satan does not want our path to be an easy one and will do all in his power to discourage us.

In Luke 22:31, we are shown Satan's intentions toward one of the disciples: "And the Lord [Jesus] said, 'Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat." Our adversary will not give up without a fight. He even attempted (and failed) to lead Jesus Himself astray (Matthew 4:1-11)!

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Trials will come

The trials we face may be tough. Jesus even said, "You will be hated by all for My name's sake" (Matthew 10:22). This point was reinforced by Christ when He described the signs of the end times: "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake" (Matthew 24:9). So there may be a point where we may have to put our very lives on the line for what we believe.

There are also other things that are expected of us (no one ever said this would be a cakewalktake a look at Matthew 7:13-14). We are told by Jesus, "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate [love less by comparison] his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26, emphasis added throughout). In short, God must be at the top of our listnot thrown in somewhere between homework and video games. We have to value this calling above our very lives.

In Luke 14:27, Jesus sets a high standard telling us, "Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple." I didn't really grasp the significance of this until I heard a sermon given by Gary Petty at a winter weekend. He pointed out that the cross was not just a heavy burden. When someone was carrying his cross in Roman times, as did Jesus, he was going to get nailed to and die on it.

This isn't something we get to put downit's a lifetime commitment. Would we be willing to die for our beliefs, as did the countless martyrs before us? Would you be willing to put your life on the line and lose it for God?

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Asaphs question

This may seem overwhelming because following God's way is no simple task. And maybe you've looked around and seen others, doing the exact opposite of what God tells us to do, and prospering in spite of it. Why bother to go through all this hard work when it seems we can simply disobey God and prosper?

Asaph asked the same question in Psalm 73: "But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like other men... Behold, these are the ungodly, who are always at ease; they increase in riches. Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocence" (Psalm 73:2-5, 12-13).

No doubt you and I have thought the same thingtrying to understand how such bounty could come from such a sinful lifestyle. But as Asaph continues, we see that this way of life does not work. He "went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. As a dream when one awakes, so, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image" (verses 17-20).

We see that no good comes from this sinful lifestyleall those who pursue it will be "brought to desolation." There is no shortcut, no easy way out of the path we are on.

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Why bother?

So now that we know what the cost of doing things God's way iswhat's expected of usthe natural question to ask is, "Why bother?" It's human nature to want to know "What's in it for me?" Well, there's plenty in it for usinfinitely more than we could ever deserve. Paul puts the cost of following God in perspective in his epistle to the Roman church when he stated, "I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18 ).

Even the hardest trial that we may face in this lifetime is not worthy of comparison to what's awaiting us. In I Corinthians 9:24 we are admonished to strive toward this goal: "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it." We're being encouraged here to do our utmost to run the course set before us to the best of our ability.

But again, what is this prize we are striving for? Jesus Christ tells us, "To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life" (Revelation 2:7) and also, "To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne" (Revelation 3:21). God's ultimate goal is to give us eternal life and have us become corulers with Christ in His Kingdom. If that is not worth striving toward with all of our might, then nothing is.

Remember, God knows we're not perfect. So if we find ourselves stumbling or in need of some help from God, "We do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Now we know both the cost of following God and what awaits us at the end of the course. All that remains, then, is for you to pick up your cross and follow. There is only one more question to be asked: Are you willing?

Jeremy Lallier is 16 years old and attends the United Church of God congregation in Worcester, Massachusetts