For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. {Luke 14:28-33}
I used to wonder years ago what this passage of Jesus’ parable meant. What’s this got to do with picking up my cross and following Him? Because prior to these two examples of the man building a tower and not finishing it, and the king going to war and ending up trying to make peace instead, Jesus said these words:
And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. {Luke 14:27}
It seems like a completely different scenario to me. What do these stories have to do with picking up my cross and following Him? And Jesus’ last words in this passage:
So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. {Luke 14:33}
Now, I get it. The Lord is saying to us, “Count the cost of following Me. Is it worth it? Don’t commit to me and then lose steam half way and decide to walk away. Figure it out. Find it out. Is it worth it to follow Me?”
Well, is it worth it? Is it worth losing everything out for Him to follow Him all the way, wherever He tells us to go and whatever He tells us to do? Is it worth it?
For me, the answer is emphatically, “Yes”. What else is there? Where else is there to go but to Him? I looked backward and forward at my life and to be honest I really have nothing to live for without Jesus. The way I see it is I’m the lucky one to be following Him, not the other way around. I really have nothing to lose following Him but everything to gain. I look at my life before I committed to following Him and all I can see is sorrow and sadness and disappointments again and again. I feel like everywhere I turned there seemed to be some kind of conspiracy to make me fail at whatever endeavors I did for myself. It was so miserable. As a matter of fact, I felt like if I was given a choice to stop existing just in a snap of God’s finger and never know what it’s like to live again, I’d take it in a heartbeat. So for me, having Jesus and following Him and seeing Him every day as my reason for living is very much a win-win situation for me. I can’t see my life any other way.
Then I thought, what if everything did turn out well for me in the world after all, would I still want to follow Jesus? Would I still be willing to give up everything to follow him? This one made me pause for a moment, but only to reflect on what that life might be and compare it to what I have today with Jesus. And I say, “Yes, I still want Him.” Suppose I have a mansion, a wonderful family, my own business that is flourishing and doing well. Maybe I’m on top of the world and I have all the money I want. Would I still want Jesus? Would I still want to follow Him all the way? Yes, I still want Him. I still want to follow Him all the way. Why? Because of many reasons but especially for one reason in particular: His comfort.
Nothing is guaranteed in this life. Even if I have my dream home and dream job and wonderful family who is going to comfort me if all that starts to fall apart? Who is to protect me from Satan and his attacks who, like a roaring lion, likes to go around seeking whom he may devour as the Bible states? {1 Peter 5:8} Who is going to protect me from him? Who is strong enough to go against Satan without Jesus Christ? He has destroyed many beautiful homes and families again and again, who would guarantee me to be spared by him if I don’t have the Lord? And who is to comfort me in the process? Who is to comfort me if my husband’s health starts to deteriorate one day and we find out he has cancer, and unless is saved right away could only end up having few years left or worse, few weeks left? Or who is going to comfort me when my children start to grow up and leave and get lives of their own, and forget about me? Who is to comfort me if one of them dies or decides to hate me or never to speak to me again as some children have done in times past? Who is to comfort me if my business starts to fail because the market or the economy starts to shift and no one is interested in my product anymore and they want something cheaper and more affordable? I can’t pay the bills anymore and I have to file for bankruptcy and lay off people all at once. Who is to comfort me and help me out of those times? Then, who is to comfort me when my own health starts to fail because I cannot take all these stresses that have come to eat at me in my life? My family? Maybe. Or maybe a best friend or a brother or a sister? I don’t know. Who is to guarantee someone will be there? There’s no one else I can see in that life that is guaranteed to comfort me and to lift me up out of all that sorrow and misery, but Jesus. He has done it for me before, He will do it for me again. The Lord not only comforted me through all those dark times in my life but He lifted me up out of all of them as well.
So, is it worth it at all for me to give up everything for Jesus? You better believe it is! It is worth it for me. I don’t see my life any other way but following Him all the way.
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life. {Matthew 19:29}
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. {John 14:18}
Prayer
Lord, I love You so much. I am so glad to have You in my life today Father. I don’t want it any other way but to follow You all the way, wherever You decide I should go and whatever You desire I should do. I am so happy Lord to have the life I have with You. Thank You so much Lord Jesus for You in my life.
Lord, I pray that You would please help us to be more surrendered in this life to You. Help Your people today who are wondering if it’s worth it or not to follow You all the way to believe and see that it is. Not only will You comfort us in all of our dark days here on this earth, but You will lift us up also out of all of them. Not only that, when our lives are over here on this earth, we will see You and be with You forever. Yes, it is worth it all to follow You. Please Jesus, help us today Savior to follow You. In Your wonderful name Jesus, I pray. Thank You, Father. Amen.
