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?

Luke 14:28 (ESV)

No one decides to build a new home without planning first. There are all kinds of questions and uncertainties that plague your mind. Like what size lot do you want to purchase and what type of design do you want the house to be? Will my credit score be good enough to finance the home? So you think of architects, realtors, and contractors that have a good reputation. You put in so much time and work praying you are making the right decisions.

Of course, you have a set of expectations to make sure everything goes according to your plans. Then the million-dollar question is asked the one that will make or break the situation “what will it cost me?” “Can I handle the weight of this agreement before signing the contract to finance the home?”

You really don’t know what the future holds but you decide to go through with it anyway. Your joy is at an all-time high! Your patience and communication skills have turned up a notch because you want your vision of owning a beautiful home to come to pass. Finally the house is built there’s one thing left after the home is built. That is to close the deal after you do your walk through and make sure everything is just the way you envisioned it to be. You are so thankful your dream has come true, you went through all of the hang-ups and unforeseen incidents like a champ.

Now you finally get to live in what was once an idea or a thought. You were intentional and by God’s grace, your dream came true. You stayed the course and now you get to reap the benefits of seeing it complete. You know I often think about my relationship with God and how He is building me.

All of the unforeseen trials I have faced since I said yes to Him. When I first became a Christian I didn’t think about what it will cost me to follow Jesus. I didn’t consider the time I needed to put in getting to know Him. I mean we can say yes to God but that’s not enough He expects us to go to work and start building His kingdom and building our relationship with Him through prayer and Bible study. Witnessing to the lost and encouraging those who are suffering should be every follower of Christ desire. Praying for the sick and visiting those in the nursing homes shouldn’t be a burden for the believer. Sometimes on this journey it get’s hard. I didn’t know it was going to cost me so much time and energy to follow Jesus!

Having to forgive those who intentionally hurt me. Loving those who you know cares nothing about you and praying for them. I thought once I said yes to God everything would be smooth sailing. When I laid my plans for ministry before the Lord I expected Him to make minor changes not alter the whole thing.

I thought God and I would be on the same page but it seems the more I try to structure my ministry the more I feel God pulling me in a different direction. So now my expectations have changed and I have surrendered my will to God’s will because I know Jesus said, in Luke 9:62 ” “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” So there’s no turning back for now! I have to finish what I said yes too! I have too much at stake! Jesus paid a high price and it cost Him His life to save mine and I realize it may cost me my life to live with Him for all of eternity.

While God is building me and making me into the Christian He wants me to be He encourages me to build others up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” Sometimes it hard to build up people who you know is working diligently to tear you down but we must remember who the real enemy is and his name is Satan. He is the one who comes to kill, steal, and destroy. So before we respond to the gossipers, slanderers, and liars we must count the cost.

Ask yourself is it worth it? Sometimes God does not call for us to fight. Sometimes we need to be still and trust that God will fight our battles. When you become bitter and angry and seek ways to get even you have lost the battle friends because that is exactly what Satan wants you to do.

When you can’t forgive and get past the hurt that’s exactly what Satan intended to happen when he placed those stumbling blocks in your way. The only way we won’t be destroyed by the enemy is we have to stick with the builder of our faith and His name is Jesus! When Jesus sends us out we must listen for His instructions when it comes to building His Kingdom.

When we come to God in prayer we must come with expectation that God will answer us. Which ever gift God has given you friends let’s use it to build one another up. 1 Corinthians 14:26 says, “What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”

If you are struggling to keep a positive attitude ask God to transform your mind. You do know He is able to do that. If you never have anything positive to say seek the Lord and ask Him for help. If you don’t ask the Lord for help He is not going to barge in on you and just start transforming you. You have to recognize their is a need for change in your life. For you to recognize your need for Christ is the Holy Spirit working in you. Do not ignore Him! God wants to build a loving close relationship with you will you say yes to the Lord?

I encourage anyone to stick with Jesus, be patient, and build a strong relationship with Him because you are going to need a strong stable foundation for when Satan tries to tear down your home, and your marriage, and your relationship with family and friends.

1 Corinthians 3:9-15 English Standard Version (ESV) says, 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

Before you say yes family you need to count the cost. What are you willing to sacrifice on your journey with Christ? He never promised an easy journey. He doesn’t always give us an easy route but we must trust our Creator and believe that no matter what happens He is always with us and He has given us everything we need to complete the task.

Is Jesus Christ who is the living word the foundation of your faith? Are you secure in your identity in Christ? God has already equipped you for ministry now it is time for you to start building up the body of Christ! You may be rejected, ridiculed, and mocked those are just some of the things that come along with ministry. You must keep your eyes on Jesus!

Let us pray,

Dear God, I need you to mold, shape, and transform me into the beautiful person you created me to be. God I know nothing you created is useless. Everything your hands have touched has a purpose and that includes me. So today Lord my prayer is that you will build me up in the areas I have been broken and feel defeated. I have counted the cost and I am willing to go all the way with you until I see you coming through the clouds of glory. Give me strength God when I am weak. Give me confidence Lord to share the truths of your word. Help me to remember the mercy and grace you have shown towards me and help me to extend it to others. Use me Lord to do your will! I will only go if I get a yes from you. Lord, I am so grateful for the price Jesus paid for my sins. I’m so grateful Jesus finished what He was sent here to do and that was to die for all humanity and I am all the more excited that death did not defeat Him. He defeated death and because He conquered the grave we are live today. God there is nothing we can do to repay you for what your Son did for us but to show how grateful we are we have made up in our mind to serve you no matter the cost. This is my prayer in Jesus name. Amen.

Cleo Ferguson-God’s Servant