“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?” (Luke 14:28 NLT))
What if, before you committed your life to the Lord Jesus, someone would have sat you down and said to you: “Before you make this commitment, you’ve got to know it will cost you your life! Yes, even your literal life!” Would you have been so quick to jump on board? I hope you would have, but, unfortunately, too many of us wouldn’t have been willing to pay the price then, and many still aren’t.
Remember the words of Jesus in Matthew 16:24? “If any of you wants to be My follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow Me. It you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for My sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?”
Once we truly see and understand who Jesus is, it’s literally a no brainer. My life is worth nothing apart from Jesus. To be able to have the privilege of giving my life for Him is the greatest pleasure and privilege of my existence. “Yeh, but what if you literally had to die for Him?” Oh, you mean like thousands of believers do every year in other parts of our world? Yes, absolutely, without hesitation!
Actually, that’s what we’re expected to do every day – die to ourselves and allow the Lord to live His life out through us. Our life is not our own, but, as Paul wrote, “for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” We’re so quick to dismiss what God has called us to because we want to separate what God wants and what we want, and, unfortunately, that’s a very real problem.
However, when we see what God wants AS what we want, things get a lot easier. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:31: “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” “But I have to work, take care of the kids, keep the house up, and on and on it goes.” Yes, and what’s your point? Are you telling me you’re a Jesus follower and NOT doing those things to glorify and honor Him?
We’re so prone to compartmentalize our “walk with Jesus.” It’s almost as if we want to treat Jesus like our dog. “Okay, Lord, time for our walk.” Shame on us! We’ve got to see every detail of our lives as belonging to Jesus and everything we do as an act of worship. And, yes, I understand that can crowd out some things we do that aren’t pleasing to Him. EXACTLY!
The more we allow Jesus to be integrated into the very fiber of our lives, there’s no room for sin or anything that’s displeasing to Him. When He’s ruling and reigning over our lives, He doesn’t steer us into sin, but into things that render Him honor, glory, and fame. Life becomes an adventure we never dared dream it could be once we train our “spiritual eye” to focus on letting Him do what He does best – love, direct, rule, and reign in, through, and over our lives.
If your life in Christ isn’t costing you anything you’re not walking with the Jesus of the Bible. Walking with Jesus costs us everything or we don’t understand the price He paid for our redemption. The Lord Jesus didn’t buy us back from sin and shame for us to remain the same. He cleansed, purified, filled, and enabled us to walk as HIS child to accomplish HIS purposes in and through our lives.
If our lives aren’t costing us anything, if they’re not bearing fruit to His glory, we may be attached to the wrong “vine.”
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 