²⁸“For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

²⁹“Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,

³⁰saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’

³¹“Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and onsider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

³²“Or else, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

³³“So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions. Luke 14:28-33

Today, I was reminded of those around the world who know that the cost of following Christ will cost them their freedom, their family, their health, and even their life. There are no carnal Christians in a country where persecution is inevitable. My prayer is that we, as followers of Christ, would live in a manner worthy of the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. It’s easy for American Christians to lose focus on the significance of eternal matters, and I am asking the Lord to use me in a way that will bring glory to Him!