No one should embark on the journey of following Jesus without first understanding the cost of doing so. Jesus used the following analogy to illustrate this same point point.

“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? For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule him, saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ – Luke 14:29-30

Over the last 7 weeks, we took a look at the most important keys to building a solid foundation for living a life that truly follows Jesus and His teachings. Now, it’s time to take a serious look at the cost of building upon this foundation.

During His ministry, Jesus confronted his followers with the seriousness of following what He teaches.

Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. – Luke 14:25-28

In this important declaration, Jesus states two things that will keep someone from being a disciple (follower) of Jesus.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple
If you allow anything to become more important than following Jesus, you are not worthy to be called a disciple. Family, friends, money, or things of this world can all quickly become top priority in our lives and we need to guard against this.

This idea of making Jesus top priority is rooted in the first of the 10 commandments found in Exodus 20. “You shall have no other gods before me.” Nothing should ever be more important that following Jesus’ example and teachings.

“anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.”
The second thing that can keep us from becoming a disciple has to do with the idea of sacrifice. Just as Jesus sacrificed His life on for us on the cross, we also need to be willing to give up everything to follow Him. Everything that we think we need, including our dreams and goals, must be subject to the direction and guidance that God provides through Jesus’ teachings, the Word of God, and the Holy Spirit within us.

As followers or potential followers of Jesus we need to seriously weigh the costs of following Jesus. It is a very serious, life-long commitment and should never be taken lightly.