Spiritual Wisdom Needed

[aribell]

Not sure whether to blog this or start a CF thread, but anyway, here's the verse from Luke 14:

"Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 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? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all he has cannot be my disciple."

I used to think this verse was implying that it is possible to not have enough to follow Christ completely. Like Jesus looked at the man who sought to follow him and told him that "foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head," meaning that this man might think he wants to follow Christ, but he may not have really thought about all that entails.

But at the same time, there really isn't room for anyone to say, "Lord, I know what following you requires, but I just don't think I can make it." That's not an option. IDK, I started pursuing the Lord very early on and made a lot of real sacrifices for it family-wise, relationship-wise, life-wise...and now I kind of feel like I'm running out of steam, like it's starting to cost too much. And I think about the commitment made as a 14-year old and wonder how I could have understand the committment that was being made.

But maybe Jesus is saying that unless you go into it knowing that you must sacrifice every last thing without holding onto or expecting anything (i.e., blessings in this life) or you won't make it through, and that's the key to persevering.

I know it's a rather open-ended question, but any insights?

 

[Shimmie]

Not sure whether to blog this or start a CF thread, but anyway, here's the verse from Luke 14:

"Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. 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? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with 10,000 to meet him who comes against him with 20,000? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all he has cannot be my disciple."

I used to think this verse was implying that it is possible to not have enough to follow Christ completely. Like Jesus looked at the man who sought to follow him and told him that "foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has nowhere to lay his head," meaning that this man might think he wants to follow Christ, but he may not have really thought about all that entails.

But at the same time, there really isn't room for anyone to say, "Lord, I know what following you requires, but I just don't think I can make it." That's not an option. IDK, I started pursuing the Lord very early on and made a lot of real sacrifices for it family-wise, relationship-wise, life-wise...and now I kind of feel like I'm running out of steam, like it's starting to cost too much. And I think about the commitment made as a 14-year old and wonder how I could have understand the committment that was being made.

But maybe Jesus is saying that unless you go into it knowing that you must sacrifice every last thing without holding onto or expecting anything (i.e., blessings in this life) or you won't make it through, and that's the key to persevering.

I know it's a rather open-ended question, but any insights?

Blessings precious Nicola...

You've asked a wonderful question. And God wants to bless you with this. The answer is in your heart. Write it, Angel. Write and share what He is speaking to you. It's part of your Ministry.

 

[kawista9]

It is impossible to please God without Faith, right. There are many scriptures in the bible that show how God has and continues to provide us with everything it is that we need. Those that trust in God will mount upon wings as eagles; walk and not faint and run and not be weary. The word of God also says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith and salvation. We are to always walk in the spirit of the Lord or our work is in vain. I am saying this to respond to your comment that you feel like you have given up alot and coming to the place where there is no steam left in you. It seems that you may be running out of faith and much of works are simply that, not necessarily walking in the Spirit of the Lord. We have to be careful that we are not being Pharisee like. If we do not walk in the spirit of the Lord, we will become burnt out. Did you rest when God told you to rest; or did you faithfully wake up and go to church every sunday because you thought it was the right thing to do. When it comes to professing Christ, when we start to see that we are vainly babling, do we stop and leave the rest up to God or show our superiority in the word and try to slash everybody who does not agree with us. Do we follow and do many things religiously without stopping to wonder if that is what God truly wanted us to do at that particular moment. I think we run out of steam and lack all that is needed to finish the race because we try to finish it on our own without finishing the small task of resting in the Lord; shutting our mouths; holding on to the ministry of prayer before all other ministry work. Do you think that maybe instead of calling off all relationships that seemed out of the will of God, you could have been long suffering and enduring and recognizing weaknesses and having compassion for others outside of the Body of Christ instead of holding up Christian pride when it comes to someone not following Christ how we think they should.

I just think that you should be more prayerful about all actions that you make and all the decisions that you make for the "call of the Lord" remember the so called christian crusades where they went and killed all these people in the name of Jesus. Yet the bible said that Jesus did not come to take life, but to give it. Make sure all that you do is in the Spirit of the Lord. His burden is easy and His yoke is light...so the question is...Are Christians today wearing the burden and yoke of Christ or of the world of religion and sacrements?

 

[GV-NA-GI-TLV-GE-I]

.and now I kind of feel like I'm running out of steam, like it's starting to cost too much. And I think about the commitment made as a 14-year old and wonder how I could have understand the committment that was being made.

But maybe Jesus is saying that unless you go into it knowing that you must sacrifice every last thing without holding onto or expecting anything (i.e., blessings in this life) or you won't make it through, and that's the key to persevering.

I know it's a rather open-ended question, but any insights?

Could it be that the situations facing a 14-year old are no longer facing a 20+-year old? Your life have changed and your faith to needs likewise and you've noticed. There is much to ponder and consider how you must bring them all under His reign. It could be that you are about to hit another spiritual level. I'd take it one situation, one day at a time and not at all be rash in decisions to either condemn them as detrimental to your walk or beneficial. Examine each deeply. And I think a lot of people have been in that place, age-related or not. As life goes on, your spiritual needs change but so does your autonomy. Seems like there's a lot to lose.

 

[Laela]

Nicola,

Stand fast... and remember Ecc 9:11: the race isn't for the swift nor the battle for heroes. Wise people don't necessarily have food. Intelligent people don't necessarily have riches*, and skilled people don't necessarily get special treatment. But time and unpredictable events overtake all of us.

* I'm glad the Word said "riches" and not "wealth," for in Christ Jesus we are wealthy, we are strong.

I'm sure the words will flow freely from your heart. Some of the most powerful works came from stirred-up hearts/souls...

God Bless

 

[aribell]

Thank you ladies for your words. And Shimmie, thank you for the encouragement to write it down. There's something in writing things down that solidifies it. Journaling used to be one of the most spiritually fruitful disciplines I practiced.

Anyway, I received the answer. The Lord is faithful. As far as the "count the cost" verse, I think Jesus is saying that unless you are prepared to sacrifice absolutely everything, unless you are prepared to put everything to death, you will not persevere in the Christian life. It's a paradoxical verse because it's not that you have to "have enough" to make it, like such and such amount. Rather, you have to spend everything in order to make it. It's not how much you have, but how much you empty yourself of. Nothing but absolutely everything will do. Victory's thread was very helpful to me in this. You have to continually take up your cross, continually reject all that is of the flesh and allow nothing to gain a foothold.

What happened to me is that I slacked off on some of the spiritual disciplines I used to be disciplined about, didn't root out quickly enough some dissatisfaction with the church I was attending, and didn't pounce on feelings that may have been nothing by themselves, but which grew into something more. The Lord told the church in revelation to return to their first love and do those things that they did at the first. And doing that has helped tremendously.

Thanks again.