The Cost of "No"

This is the second of two posts addressing the cost of obedience to God. You can read the first here.

"Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured from sinners such hostility against Himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted." - Hebrews 12:2-3

If you're like me, you're not a fan of shopping. There are several reasons why, but I think my primary reason for not enjoying a trip to the store is looking at the prices. Especially when I'm shopping for clothes. I'll see something I like. Then I read the price tag and suddenly decide I don't like it anymore. The cost is too high, and I don't think it's worth it.

Sometimes, that's how it feels when God is showing us something He wants us to do. It looks great. Then we count the cost. We might lose friends. We might disappoint family. We might have to leave everything that is familiar. It could even cost our lives.

Unlike that piece of clothing, I hope you realize obedience is worth it. The reward is so much greater than the cost. And there is also a cost to disobedience.

In Deuteronomy, God set a choice before the Israelites. He told them they could choose the blessings of obedience or the curse associated with disobedience. Like the people of Israel, if we choose disobedience, we remove ourselves from the blessings of God. We harden our hearts toward Him. We block ourselves from hearing His voice. We hinder our relationships with Him and show Him that we don't love Him.

Through their obedience, the Israelites were supposed to show the world what a relationship with God looked like. What if, through our disobedience, we hinder someone else? What if it costs their salvation? What if disobedience prevents us from meeting someone who needed to hear about Him? What if praying with that person in the mall is just the sign they are looking for, and we don't do it?

Isn't their eternity more important than our momentary convenience?

So yes, there is a cost to following Christ. There is a cost to doing what He says to do. But there's an even higher price to pay when we don't. The cost of obedience is temporary. The cost of disobedience is eternal.

Like Jesus, let us not refuse to pay the cost. Let us see, instead, the joy before us and choose to be obedient to Him.

"But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ." -Philippians 3:7-8

Join the conversation:

• When you count the cost, do you also consider the rewards?
• How do you respond when asked to give something up for the sake of Christ?