COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

Cost of Discipleship

Luke 14:25-33

Why do we do what we do? This was a question that was asked and answered many times on our trip to Inida. Dr. Beyda challenged us to consider the why in what we do based on Galations 1:10 “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.” The question was asked did we come to India for the applause of man or to honor Christ.

Great question that led in to many conversations about sacrifice and service. What are we willing to give up? What should we be willing to give up? Our time is one of the hardest comodities to give up–is it ok to take time away from family to care for children of India or any other country? These questions were talked about by several people on our trip. Have you asked yourself these hard questions?

Our family continually asks these questions, one of our family values is “family”. Family is a huge importance to us. We desire to be close and to create life giving, life enhanceing moments that will be part of discipling our family. But, what does it mean to sacrifice and serve?

A passage to consider…Luke 14

25 Now great crowds accompanied him, and he turned and said to them, 26 “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him,30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’31 Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. 33 So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple.

We do what we do, I do what I do because Christ is number one importance in our lives. We desire to be true disciples of Christ, we desire to love God with our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We desire to proclaim Christ n word and deed. We want our kids to see authentic followers of Christ. They see our warts and they know our beliefs. They see our selfishness and they see our sacrifice. We desire to serve Christ through our giftedness, our talents and our calling. We desire to serve Christ through our craziness and ability to do chaos.

To be honest we have people around us who are not as supportive for what we are called to do. There are people who challege us to reconsider foster care or my travel with One Child Matters, but we feel called. Called to consider the cost of discipleship.