Count the Cost

On my break today at Starbucks, I read a little passage from Luke 14. Jesus is teaching the crowds about discipleship. My Zondervan Bible Dictionary says that the word disciple "implies the acceptance in mind and life of the views and practices of the teacher." Every true Christian is a disciple of Jesus, but I wonder how many who claim that title have really considered the cost of following him.

In verses 26 and 27, Jesus makes it clear that following him is a serious endeavor. It means hating your own life, regarding Jesus above family and friends, and even taking up a cross. He says that if you don't do these things, you can't be his disciple, and he calls people to consider this cost before jumping into discipleship.

The following verses illustrate how we should take the decision to follow Christ at least as seriously as we take other major decisions in life. You don't start a building project unless you have enough money to finish it, and you don't go to war unless you have the military power to win (verses 28-32).

At first, I didn't understand how theses situations relate to discipleship. What does going to war or building a tower have to do with following Jesus? Well, I think it has more to do with making the decision to do those things than the actions themselves. You don't just wake up one morning and decide to go to war. That is an important decision with huge consequences. Following Jesus has huge consequences too. We may never be called to die for him, but we need to make the decision before we're faced with it. Beth Moore said that many Christians will fall into a pit of sin because they never made a conscious decision to avoid it. If they had, they would never have gone near it to begin with. It's the same with discipleship. We have to consider the cost (everything we have), and whether the outcome (eternal life and fellowship with Jesus) is worth it. If we're not willing to give everything we have - if we think taking up a cross is only for first century Christians, then maybe we haven't really thought through what it means to be a disciple.

Jesus doesn't want us to just say we're Christians. He wants us to be completely surrendered to him, not holding on to any sin or idol. When a challenge arises and it comes to a choice between Jesus and friends, or Jesus and family, or even Jesus and life, our decision should already be made.