A Good Start


I am a horrible project planner--at least at home.  A couple years ago we had the idea to build a closet in some empty space over the garage.  It was my wife's idea and a great one.  


It's been 2 years and it may be finished in a month.  About a day into the project I knew I was in over my head.


2 years later we hired a contractor to finish it but after the basic work and finishing touches it has been a lot more complicated and a lot more costly than we originally anticipated.


Thinking through this, I remembered Jesus' teaching about counting the cost.  His example for this admonition is a man who builds with no plan or thought to the cost of finishing.  King of describes my approach to home improvement.  
Luke 14:25-33 “If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. 30 They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’ 31 Or what king would go to war against another king without first sitting down to consider whether his ten thousand soldiers could go up against the twenty thousand coming against him? 32 And if he didn’t think he could win, he would send a representative to discuss terms of peace while his enemy was still a long way off. 33 In the same way, none of you who are unwilling to give up all of your possessions can be my disciple."

Hopefully my poor planning skills aren't reflected in the things that matter. Most things in life are easy to start.  Finishing is another skill set.  

In the Christian journey, the emphasis is so often on the start, but the slog through the middle is often not considered.  The one who finishes is rewarded.  


In this passage, one's possessions and relationships are given as costs that need to be considered.  


What other costs are involved in this path of the cross?

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