Counting the Cost

Luke 14:25-33 25
Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26"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. 27And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28"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? 29For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' 31"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? 32If 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. 33In the same way, any of you who does not give up everything he has cannot be my disciple.

Phil 3:7-9. 7
But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ,

Again, it was a Sunday morning when God spoke these words to me. "Count the cost." The pervasive "still small voice" of God, penetrating my heart. Really I don't know what to say to that. While I've meditated and chewed on it for days, I don't want to respond mindlessly. Isn't that what Luke is talking about, a mindless haphazard response to God's will, instead of counting the cost?

So, I'll continue to seek God about this, and what He is trying to show me. But I really wanted to share these scriptures with everyone. I think we are in a time, where we need to be counting the costs. Are we really willing to give all? Our lavish homes, our fancy cars, friendships, family, anything that we may put ahead of God or that we allow to stop us from fully following God. I don't want to sound pesimistic, since really it is because of hope in our God that we are able to shed the cares and worries and things of this world.