The Bible explains that we should count the cost of following Christ before we make the decision to accept him. If we know what we’re getting into before we commit, we have a better chance of standing firm to the end. To illustrate this, Jesus tells us that before going to war, a king will count the cost of that decision so that he can determine his chance of winning. And when building a house, the owner will determine the cost as well, so that the house doesn’t get only half finished. As believers, we need to count the cost of following Christ; and that cost is our very lives. The Bible tells us that we are not our own, that we’ve been bought with a price, and that price was the blood of Jesus as he bled and died on the cross. Matthew 10 reminds us that we shouldn’t love anything above Christ, including our own families, or we aren’t worthy of him. Verse 39 then goes on to says:
“Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
So, as you can see, the cost of following Christ is losing our lives for the sake of Christ. That means following what he wants for us, not only what we want for ourselves. We are “slaves to Christ”, as Paul puts it. I encourage you to re-evaluate your idea of what it costs to follow Christ. There are believers around the world who understand that choosing to follow Christ may literally mean their lives. Making a choice for Christ in the face of that reality will make any believer take their salvation seriously. Though even here in America, we must realize the cost isn’t any different. The cost is our lives. “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”
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At times, it does us well to take stock of our lives. Are we living as though our lives are ours alone, or are we living for Christ? Days and weeks may pass without giving much thought to our level of conviction to Christ, but it shouldn’t be that way. True believers remind themselves daily that their lives aren’t their own. Paul says that he dies daily. That means that he reminds himself of what should be true of every believer; that our lives are not our own. Daily we need to pick up our cross and follow him. Now is not the time for spiritually thin living. I encourage you, if you’re not already, to take steps to live a hardcore life for Christ.
