“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Will he not 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, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:31-33)
When you’re counting the cost of living as a disciple of Jesus, it doesn’t really matter what numbers you put into your spreadsheet. The bottom line always comes out the same: everything.
Jesus’ examples of doing the math before you build the wall or go into battle made his point. Being his disciple isn’t just hard. It’s not just costly. It costs everything. It’s a one-way trip. It’s leaving behind the expectation of every personal hope and dream and taking his plans on as our own.
Think: How often do you think of being Jesus’ disciple as such an expensive commitment? How do you usually think of being his disciple?
Pray: Ask God to help you to have a better understanding of how much it can cost to follow Jesus—and why it’s worth it.
Do: Think about asking someone who has been living as Jesus’ disciple for a long time what that choice has cost him or her.