Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. – Romans 12:1

Whenever you make a choice, you exchange one outcome for another. The option to obey the way of Jesus is no different. By choosing his way, you are sacrificing something. It costs you something to obey.

My parents lost everything they owned twice when they were forced to evacuate the country or Rwanda during the political and military upheaval. This high cost came with their obedience to God’s call to be missionaries. It can be dangerous to obey. Christianity isn’t a guarantee of an easy life and an eternal party. That is why it is helpful to count the costs of the following Jesus. You don’t get extra spirit points by ignoring these costs. Instead, I challenge you to consider costs seriously.

If being a follower of Jesus can be difficult, why would anyone want to do it? The answer to that question is so important. Remember, at the beginning of this post; I told you that every decision was an exchange. Yes, we must learn to count the cost of obedience, but we must also weigh that cost against the goodness and beauty of God’s Kingdom and his rule. God’s way is what we were designed to live in; without it, we will never be fully human. So yes, count the cost but also the weight of blessing for those who walk with Jesus.

Perhaps you formalize the counting of costs this week. Find some time to list some of the blessings you have and ask yourself if you are willing to sacrifice those things if you were to be asked. What is difficult to surrender? What is easy to surrender? Talk through it with your good Father.