"Failure to Finish"
EPISODE 63
Complete Your Journey of Faith
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Have you ever started a project, only to lose interest in it before it's finished? I have! My wife can attest to the countless home improvement projects I started but never finished. It drives her crazy sometimes. But what happens if we fail to finish spiritually?
"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? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'... So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:28-33).
Littering the landscape of humanity are partially built towers — projects which were started but never finished. They laid the foundation of faith, built the support structure of good works, and then the work stopped. What a waste! And what an embarrassment! Let's look at two questions to ask before committing to the Lord, which would avoid this sad situation.
What Will It Cost?
Discipleship costs our relationships. Jesus tells us to hate our "father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters" (Luke 14:26). That's some strong language! But let's keep his words in context. Jesus isn't contradicting his command to love our neighbor (Matt. 22:39). Instead, he's ordering our priorities. It's about who we love more (Matt. 10:36).
And discipleship costs our possessions. He closes this conversation by saying, "So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:33). Riches and earthly treasures can cloud our view of eternity. Are your possessions a distraction or a tool for God's glory? It's not to say that worldly possessions are evil, but they can be problematic when we love them more than God (1 Tim. 6:10).
Ultimately, Jesus demands our life. We bear our cross and follow him (Luke 14:27). We hate our own life (Luke 14:26). We follow Jesus' call to commit ourselves wholly and be willing to die for him. There are no discounts or coupons. Discipleship is about being all-in, which leads to another critical question.
Am I Willing To Pay?
Let the cost of following Christ sink in. Is the price too high? Are you able to pay? Will you choose to "... present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God ..." (Rom. 12:1)? Abandoning some small home improvement project is trivial compared to the tragedy of beginning a walk with God and then giving up.
Know that the reward for a life well-lived is worth your total commitment and sacrifice. So will you finish what you started?
