“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

Everything costs something! How many times have we heard our athletes say something like this, “Coach, I wish I had taken my grades more seriously” or “If I had only worked harder in the weight room, I might have been able to play in college?” Unfortunately, it’s also common to hear coaches say that the profession “cost” them their marriage and their family. Life is a tough teacher! The “cost” of having the chance to play on the next level often comes down to paying the price in the classroom and in the weight room. The “cost” for maintaining a healthy family life and marriage is finding a way to balance work and home. All too often, we fail to count the cost of achieving our goals. We can see the end result without realizing the day-to-day struggle involved. We are great at starting off in a blaze only to fizzle out as time goes by. A half-hearted effort seldom produces success and usually is the source of great regret.

Jesus reminds us that there is a cost in following Him also. He compared the Christian life to building a tower. The first thing a logical builder would do is to estimate the cost of construction. If there’s not enough resources to complete the project, don’t start it. How foolish would it look if we only laid the foundation and then stopped! Jesus uses this illustration to drive home a very important message. If we want to follow Jesus, we had better think long about the “cost” of abandoning our life to live a life for Him. It’s a daily battle and a half-hearted effort won’t get it done.

Heavenly Father, teach me that everything has a cost. Give me wisdom to weigh that cost before committing to anything. Strengthen me to give my all in serving You and those you put in my life today. Amen.