Count the Cost
As you work your way through this material, you will be challenged to grow in your relationship with God. You will think through what the Bible teaches and its implications for the way you live your life today. Everything you study will be for the purpose of applying it to your life and teaching other people to do the same. But before you set out to teach other people to be disciples of Jesus, you need to examine your heart and make sure you are committed.
Read the following words from Jesus slowly and carefully. Understand that Jesus is speaking these words to you. Think about what Jesus is saying and how it should affect the way you approach this material and your relationship with Him. After you have read this section, use the questions below to help you count the cost of following Jesus.
Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, “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. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 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? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ʻThis man began to build and was not able to finish.ʼ 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? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25-33)
4. If you choose to accept Jesusʼ call to follow, what might it cost you? (Avoid being vague. If following Jesus would cost you specific possessions, comforts, or relationships, list them below.)
5. What might hold you back from following Jesus at this point? Are you willing to let go of these things if necessary?
6. Before you end this session, spend some time in prayer. Ask God to work in your heart and prepare you for what is ahead. You donʼt need to have all the answers or know specifically how God will use you. He simply calls you to follow wherever He might lead. As you pray, be honest about your doubts, hesitations, and fears. Ask Him to give you the strength to proceed and follow
Him no matter what the cost.
In following Jesus I have given up a number a things in my life but the most important to me is personal relationships. I gave up my boyfriend, who was not devoted to Christ, and have continued to choose to not be romantically involved with people who are not followers of Christ, despite temptations to do otherwise. I have also lost friendships to people, who because they were not devoted to Christ, have a different lifestyle than my own. Also, by going on the trip to Africa, I am surrendering monetary funds in order to serve the Lord. There are also many areas in my life that still require leaving in order to fully and wholeheartedly devote my life 100% to following Christ.
ReplyDeleteI've given up a lot to follow Jesus: the pursuit of money and things, relationships with friends and family, an ungodly lifestyle. And the temptation sometimes is to say 'look at what I gave up Jesus...you owe me..'
ReplyDeleteBut, He doesn't owe us...HE's given us His blood and a relationship with Him and our lives are actually better without those things. A life following Jesus may be hard, but it's the BEST way to live. God isn't a kill joy.
Really nothing is holding me back from following Jesus. I could see my own selfishness and sinful nature hindering me, but I know in the end that giving those things up is the best way of life!