Week 5 | Day 5 | Count the Cost

Command:

Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear. Luke 14:35b

Read:

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? Matthew 16:24-26 (NIV)

Reflect:

I have an annual ritual that I do about this time of the year. I look back at the previous ten months and note where I have actually “progressed” in certain goals I set out to achieve at the beginning of the year. And then I look ahead to the coming year and think about what areas of my life I can “improve” upon. Inevitably, I commit to growing “deeper” in my relationship with Jesus, losing weight and getting stronger, and saving money. In an effort to create habits to accomplish my goals, I start to look up bible reading plans, renew my gym membership, and plan to cancel unnecessary subscriptions. And yet, as I come to the end of every year, I realize that I have over-committed and under-performed. It's not to say that I have not “progressed” in any of those goals. It’s more a realization that just “committing” to something does not make it so. Making good on my commitments takes a constant realignment of my priorities and my practices. 

Similarly, committing to follow Jesus invites me to daily reexamine my priorities and practices, and denying myself those things that take me further away from him. Taking up my cross to follow Jesus is not an easy task because I am not naturally oriented to obedience. Obedience is a process for me that is often informed by “What’s in it for me?” When I approach my discipleship and commitment to Jesus with this selfish mindset, I really miss out on the kind of life he invites me into. 

Dallas Willard once wrote: “Nondiscipleship costs abiding peace, life penetrated through by love, faith that sees everything in the light of God’s overriding governance for good, hopefulness that stands firm in the most discouraging of circumstances, power to do what is right and withstand the forces of evil.” In other words, my disobedience will cost me the abundant life only he can promise. Wouldn’t I rather forfeit the world and all its promises in exchange for that?

React:

Are you committed to following Jesus and his ways? What would it cost you not to?

Pray:

Jesus, thank you for seeing how hard it is for me to daily follow in your footsteps. And thank you for your patience with me. I know you’re doing a good work in me, and in the end, you’ll complete it. Amen.