IT IS EXPENSIVE TO FOLLOW CHRIST

Take a moment an think of the most expensive thing you have ever bought. The other day my husband mistakenly bought chewing gum worth 300 shillings! we now each eat one of the gum sticks per day and chew it until we cannot chew no more  and probably if someone borrowed it from me I would first explain to them how well they should chew it ....because what! 300 shillings gum?

Okay you now have in mind your most expensive possession...I can bet you take extra care of that possession because of the price you paid for it and that you value it to the extent of spending that much to buy it (unless of course you bought it by mistake)...the more something costs the more time we take to plan for it, like we make a savings plan or plan how to pay off a loan when we are about to purchase anything big.e.g.a house, land , a car....etc 

One thing that most of us are never told when we are called to give our lives to Christ is that it is going to cost us something.....

 Luke 14:27-29 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you,

Jesus gave this example to people because He wanted them to think about what they are getting themselves into when they will choose to follow Him, that is was better for them to consider this before following Him rather than start then give up when it gets hard.

Following Him might mean that you cannot date that person, you will have to give your money to people, you will have to allow people in need in your space, you will have to stop hanging out with certain friends, you will have to stop hanging out in some joints, you will have to stop listening to some musicians.....it will cost you something and you have to count the cost because stopping half way will get you to be ridiculed....ever heard people say...'lol, we thought you got saved, what happened to your Jesus' when you go back to your old ways....

Are you willing to let go of anyone and everything so that He comes first? Is He that precious to you that you will leave that girlfriend or boyfriend that you know He does not want you to be with? will you leave that friend(s) who you know you should not be hanging with? will you go against the beliefs in your family to follow Him? Is He that precious?

It is scary! Isn't it? that you choose to step out of your comfort zone for Him who gave it all up for you....it requires courage, the courage the Samaritan woman had when she went out and proclaimed Jesus to people who knew her about her lifestyle, the courage the woman who walked to Jesus to wash His feet with perfume in the middle of a party full of people who knew she was a prostitute, the courage that the disciples had to preach Jesus and die for Him...

This kind of courage comes when we regard Jesus as the MOST precious gift to us.....that gets us to the point that we are able to boldly live for Him and be unashamed because other people's salvation depends on your obedience.....so yes it is expensive to be a Christian because it will call for you to count the cost, the cost of being ridiculed, shunned, feeling lonely, losing friends, family and maybe even killed for the sake of the gospel....

Prayer

Dear Lord,

I come before you Lord, asking for forgiveness for allowing fear to/of (insert the thing/person that God is telling you to let go of) and I pray that you may teach me to love you and uphold you above everything else in my life and let go of the fear. Father help me be bold to live for you for the rest of my life and may you use me for the glory of your name. Amen