The Cost

I've been thinking frequently about what it means to follow Christ, to have a true relationship with him. I spoke a little about this last week in Sunday School with the High School youth and they all expressed similar frustrations. The love that I have for my fiancee, my family, and my friends is tangible in many ways. I can talk to them whenever I want. I can hug them and tell them that I love and care about them and they can immediately respond in a was that is clear to me. Although sometimes it does happen, it is difficult to forget about these relationships. I've spent my entire life in relationship with some of them and long periods of time with others and my heart is drawn to them. All of these relationships and the love that I am able to show towards them are a gift from God. I know love only because he first loved me (John 4:19). He loves without condition, full of compassion, and completely. This love that God offers shines through these relationships, but He also reaches us in means that aren't so tangible.

God has taught us to love him. Jesus says "if you love me, you will obey my commands," (John 14:15) and that the entire law can be summed up in two commandments "...Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." and "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Matt. 22:37-39). What does it mean to love God with ALL our hearts, with ALL our minds, and with ALL our strength. I think we take the scriptures that we have heard so often too lightly. All isn't a very light word. To love God is to give him everything, all that we have and can give, not all that we want to give and this is important for more than just our own well being.

"Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 

"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.'

"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 14:25-33)

 This is, or at least should be a challenging passage. Why is the God who is love, telling us to hate our family? God isn't telling us to despise our families or to ignore them. He is telling us that, He must be first. When Jesus called the first disciples, He simply said "follow me" (Matt. 4:19, 8:22. 9:9 to name a few). They were called to leave their homes, jobs, and families at the drop of a hat because what Jesus was offering was worth more than all those things. At least with his disciples, it didn't take much convincing from what we can gather from the scriptures.

It takes a lot more convincing for even Christians today to desire to follow Jesus. There is so much available to us at the tips of our fingers that the thought of having to read scripture, to work towards face-to-face relationships that are deeper than a facebook message, and to have to spend our lives seeking one thing just isn't feasible and Jesus isn't make it any easier by telling us we have to if we want to be His disciple and to live out His purposes in our lives. Some would argue that you can be a Christian and not a disciple. The disciples are the preachers and teachers. They are the ones called to spread the good news. The rest of us just listen, but James tells us we are "deceived" if we only listen to the word, we are called to action (James 1:22). Why is this so important?

God loves each and every one of His people. Nothing can change that (Romans 8:38-39), but if we want to follow Jesus, if we want to know his love completely and to live in the fullness of life that is offered through his sacrifice, we must respond to the love we are given. Our forgiveness and our eternal life came at a cost and it requires sacrifice on our part. In the passage in Luke (above), Jesus is saying that we absolutely have to count the cost. Is this venture really worth getting into? Is it worth going to church, putting a little more in the offering plate, giving my free time to volunteer, reading the scriptures, allowing myself to be pushed way out of my comfort zone and looking at the world differently?

An experience with Jesus should change your life whether you have been a believer for 100 years or not at all. When we draw close to Him he shifts our world view. We begin to see the world through the eyes of God and what we see requires a change in us.We will begin to hurt for what he hurts for and to find joy in what he delights in. These emotions and attitudes will draw a response, but are we have to be willing to embrace it. We have to count the cost. It's not about being ready to make the decision. When we make that decision God will guide us, but are you willing to be changed? Are you willing to be convicted and are you willing to respond? Is it worth it?

I can't answer that for anyone reading, but I can say that nothing in this world will ever satisfy like the love of Jesus Christ and having a personal relationship with him. I will not be able to convince anyone of this with my own strength or agenda, it has to be experienced. God provides us with opportunities to share the joy that he has given us. As I mentioned above, Christ gives us two commandments, to love Him with all we have and to love others. In loving Him, we must be willing to make the sacrifice, to pay the cost, whatever it takes. In loving Him, we will be drawn to His heart and we won't be able to help but love others because we will see them as he sees them with love and compassion. It's not always going to be an easy road and it may not ever seem easy, but the reward is eternal. It's beyond our life on this earth. It's perfect and pure and holy. Take a step in faith, believe Christ is who he says he is and fall into His embrace. Delight yourself in His presence. Pray that He would meet you and brace yourself for the adventure.