Yesterday Russ was discussing the question posed by Kyle Idleman in his book, Not a Fan, which asks, "What has following Jesus cost you?" As someone who was sitting in the stands with goose bumps from this sickness at a church softball game watching one team pummel another, it was hard for me to really consider the question. But when I read the book and taught the DVD series that goes along with it, I can now remember some of my thoughts on this question.
I will admit that I initially had a difficult time with the question and I couldn't figure out why. It took me a while to sort out the why. Sure, I could point to lost friends, lost "good" times by not participating in some of the local krewes, lost houses on the water, etc. The problem I have when I think of these things is I don't see it as a cost. The return from following God's guidance to have the right friends, participate in the right activities, and be responsible with what He provides is so much more than a lost cost. This is why it is so hard for me to try to find that thing that costs because if it was not in God's plan then it was not a cost at all.
The cost is in not following God. Every time we decide to not follow God we pay a tremendous cost. We lose time, time we could have been using to grow, time we could have been using to love others, time we could have been using to follow our purpose. And we never get that time back. Never. We also extol a tremendous cost on those around us. They have to bear a burden that they don't want to or should have to bear.
I think the right way to ask that question is, "What has not following Jesus cost you?" I think I could fill a book answering this question.
I will admit that I initially had a difficult time with the question and I couldn't figure out why. It took me a while to sort out the why. Sure, I could point to lost friends, lost "good" times by not participating in some of the local krewes, lost houses on the water, etc. The problem I have when I think of these things is I don't see it as a cost. The return from following God's guidance to have the right friends, participate in the right activities, and be responsible with what He provides is so much more than a lost cost. This is why it is so hard for me to try to find that thing that costs because if it was not in God's plan then it was not a cost at all.
The cost is in not following God. Every time we decide to not follow God we pay a tremendous cost. We lose time, time we could have been using to grow, time we could have been using to love others, time we could have been using to follow our purpose. And we never get that time back. Never. We also extol a tremendous cost on those around us. They have to bear a burden that they don't want to or should have to bear.
I think the right way to ask that question is, "What has not following Jesus cost you?" I think I could fill a book answering this question.
1 comment:
Great turnaabout
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