My job used to be an hour commute one way. It was 44 miles away. Now, I don’t understand the mechanics of my car’s engine. In fact, all I know is that my car needs fuel to run. I had to monitor the fuel tank on a daily basis to determine if I had enough gas to make my commute. My car was small and so was the fuel tank. If I didn’t keep track of the fuel in my gas tank, it would be an awful long walk back home. More likely, I’d end up having an angry wife coming to pick me up—scary thought. Without fuel in my car, I would not get to work, which would be detrimental to my paycheck, impacting my family’s standard of living. So, weighing the importance of having enough fuel and the possible adverse effect on my standard of living, I always made it a point to have enough fuel for the commute day in and day out.
Jesus calls His disciples to make the same determination, not about how much fuel is in your car’s tank but to count the cost of following Him. Jesus states the cost of following Him in Luke 14:25-33:
25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.
The cost of following Jesus isn’t generally discussed in the Church, probably because these scriptures are intense, difficult to listen to. Sometimes when Jesus would teach, He would use an exaggeration to bring His point across to His audience. The bottom line, according to Luke 14:33, is that a Jesus follower is to renounce all that he has, to lose his life in this earth. Let’s look at how our lives really appear in the grand scheme of eternity. Here’s a visual on how that would look; I’ll take an illustration given by my pastor: Imagine a timeline that extends into infinity. This timeline represents eternity past and future. There is no end in sight on both sides of the timeline. Now, take a razor blade and cut the minutest sliver out of this timeline. This minute sliver represents our lives lived out on this earth in the never-ending span of eternity. Are you willing to trade your minutest sliver of this life for an abundant, eternal life with the One True God? This is the question posed by Jesus to you. It’s your call.
What does God want from you? In verse Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart,” God promises you that, if you seek Him, you will find Him only when you do so with your whole heart. God is interested in what’s inside of you, and I’m not talking about your internal organs. He is interested in your mind, heart, and soul-the whole package. That’s considered the “all of you”. When you are seeking God with an unwavering love, He promises to reveal Himself to you. Remember, God knows you are sinful and not perfect. He knows you are but a man or woman made of dust. He will draw close to you when you begin to take a step and draw close to Him.
So, have you considered the cost of following Jesus? The cost is your heart. That’s the cost, a full surrender of your life to His will. Know this: when you turn your life over to God, He has your back; He has your best interests in mind. You only need to trust Him. Does this mean life on earth will be an easy street? Absolutely not. This world is wicked; evil permeates everywhere here. But not to worry, God has overcome this world, and He will be with you through the trials no matter what. Nothing is hidden from God. He can even see what’s in your heart, your thoughts, and your intentions—both the good and the bad. Now, He knows your heart, more so than you do. But guess what, He is still holding out His hand, hoping you will take it so that He can perform heart surgery and miraculously begin your healing process toward knowing the One True God. You just need to give Him the approval and ask for His forgiveness regarding the sin in your life. To be absolutely clear here, there is nothing you can do to earn eternal life with God. The work has all been done for you by the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. The sin debt required by God the Father has already been paid by the shed blood of Jesus on that old rugged cross. God is waiting for your answer, wanting to welcome you as His child with open arms. He wants you to turn toward Him and begin walking with Him on a journey leading through eternity. An eternity that Jesus calls the abundant life—a quality of life far superior compared to life here on this present earth, a life with the One True God, and a life without sin. As you consider the cost, the choice is totally up to you on whether you accept Jesus’ offer. The reason I am discussing the costs of following Jesus is this: I would hate to see you run out of gas, stranded on a highway going nowhere with nobody to help you. That’s not an ideal situation. If you haven’t already considered the costs of following Jesus, please consider giving your heart over to Him.
Psalms 51 – “Create in me a clean heart, O Lord.”
Discussions to make God known 