During my first training camp at Adventures in Missions we had a teaching titled “The Cost of Discipleship.” It was on Luke 14 where Jesus said “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?” The question was then posed to us if we had counted the cost of following Jesus. That following Him meant dying to our own desires and expectations of what we thought our life would be, being willing to be ridiculed just as Jesus was ridiculed, committing to love even those we view as our enemies as senselessly as God loves us. You would think that room full of wannabe missionaries would have thought of this ourselves at some point. But many of us were left shaken by this, our assumptions being torn down for the Lord to build back up with truth. 

In the two years since I have found myself surprised by how often counting the cost is necessary. I saw my friends do the same in having to reconcile that following Jesus might strain their relationships with their family and friends. After feeling the call to move international long term, I saw a friend have to accept that she would be living in a culture that is hostile to her as a woman. I’ve had friends across the world face physical and verbal abuse from family because they refused to deny Christ. 

I have found myself scrounging for change, doing and redoing the math, sometimes crying out to the Lord when I realize it might cost everything. But then He reminds me what it is all for. Him. His kingdom. Heaven coming to earth. To get to be apart of His work of taking care of the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow and restoring them to His family. 

When counting the cost it’s easy for me to feel burdened, but it always leads me to hope. The hope we have in the life to come, and the hope we have for restoration in this lifetime. This hope is what has brought me from season to season, and it brings me encouragement when I need it most. I pray that this hope and encouragement meets you where you are at today.