Devotion - Tuesday, November 15

In Luke 14:25 ff we read another of the often repeated warnings from Jesus about taking too lightly our promise to "follow" him.  The examples Jesus gives may not connect as well to our lives as others might.  

In Luke 14 he speaks of the man who desires to build a tower, but doesn't first sit down and consider the cost and so he runs out of materials and money before it is completed.  

The other example is of a king who goes off to war without first calculating whether his army is large enough to face the opposition.

I don't know that  I have ever had a member of a congregation build a tower; and none have amassed an army and started their own war.

If these examples leave us flat, we should look for others.  Following Jesus gives us a joy and a satisfaction and an assurance beyond our wildest hope.  But following Jesus must be our hope, our true hope and our final hope.  Following Jesus means acting the way Jesus would act and seeing the world the way that Jesus sees the world.  Following Jesus means making important in our lives the things that were important in Jesus' life.

It is important to count the cost.  It is essential to consider well if we have the courage and dedication to follow through.  So so much to avoid Jesus' disappointment but to avoid the disappointment experienced by so many who come to realize that they have allowed some other goal to come between them and Jesus.