I was playing Bible roulette the other day, just flipping through the Bible scanning and reading anything that jumped out at me, when I hit Luke 14:28-30. I know I've read this before, but this time these few verses really speak to me. I love that no matter how many times I read the Bible there is always something "new" for me! With the help of my mad copy and paste skills here are the verses...
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? 29 For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, 30 saying, 'This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.' "
Maybe the fact that I've been through the building process since last reading these verses is why they spoke so loudly this time or perhaps I'm just at a point where God felt I was ready to grow a little more. I really don't know why but these verses have been playing around in my head for several days now, and I would like to share a few thoughts I've had.
We don't allow people the time to estimate the cost. We've all been taught that our goal is to get them to say that "prayer" for their heaven ticket. Once they get that ticket everything else is gravy! Not only do we not allow time for the estimation, we go into salesman mode and pitch all the great things that have happened in our lives since we were saved. In the beginning we seldom mention that there is a cost at all. Once we've made the sale we turn them over to the professionals who can begin assisting with the foundation and help them through when they learn about the cost. You know, a debt consolidation strategy to get through the hard times. To allow someone the time to estimate the cost would require us to personally invest in them. That cost may be to great for us. For someone to truly estimate the cost requires all the information and usually a lot of assistance from those that know the cost. In other words...OUR TIME! Another debt of selflessness that we are not always willing to pay. Of course when they see and feel the love that is required for us to be able to help them as they estimate the cost, the burden seems a little more bearable. And on the flip side when we actually invest ourselves into someone for the cause of Jesus we learn that the cost really isn't much after all. There is usually a return on our investment. It may be just the satisfaction of knowing you are doing what we are all called to do or it may be a life long friend. Jesus dealt with people on a personal level...as His disciples we are to follow his example.
There is a very visible side effect to the fact that people are not allowed to estimate the cost. Week after week in churches around this country, preachers and pastors are going over the same basic information again and again. The foundation is complete, but people were not allowed to estimate the cost and the cost seems to great because no time was invested initially to show the return. The world watches and laughs at all the people who are unwilling to pay the cost for completion and find it harder and harder to believe. Then we try to convince more people more quickly to follow Jesus before all is lost. It's a vicious cycle to say the least. Let's break it! Find someone and make a little investment. I can't make any promises on the initial return, but I promise it will be worth it in the end!
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2 comments:
Incredible post!
Far too often we want to massproduce christians off an assymbly line. Without the time taken to count the cost (wich is everything) we often give less than what is required yet end up feeling shortchanged. Following Christ is costly. But, when it costs us everything we have nothing to lose.
Good thoughts....and who doesn't love a little "Bible-dipping"?? I used to do it in high school as a petty magic-eight-ball sort of thing.
"I'll flip open the Bible and whatever verse I say will give me insight into which college to attend"
"If I'm supposed to date so-and-so, the first verse I see will tell me so"
I digress.
Good thoughts. An interesting insight into why the church as a whole is having a difficult time retaining a younger demographic. Promises, promises of how great Christianity is in an uncertain world, but when they decide to bite the bullet and come to "the faith" they're left wondering why nothing's changed and everything isn't cracked up to what they understood it to be.
As Christ himself demonstrated, bringing others into the fold requires - no, demands - an investment in them as people, as family, as human beings in need of the love of a Savior, manifested how?? Not through an altar call, not through a class of the basics of being a Christian and let's-get-your-name-on-the-nursery-rotation, but manifested through US....loving God by loving them - welcome to the family, we love YOU - be a part of US, of this thing bigger than you can imagine.
If only we could get it going in the right direction.
That was long.
Sorry.
:)
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