What Does it Cost to be a Christian?

Does it cost anything to be a Christian? It depends on how you define 'Christian.' Think about it before you answer the question. #Christian #cost #Discipleship #socialjustice

Does it Cost to be a Christian?

No, you can’t buy Christianity. And you don’t need to buy anything to call yourself a Christian. You don’t need a leather-bound Bible, special highlighters, a slogan t-shirt, or even a cross necklace.

Those things just dress up your outsides and cost money. If you have a smartphone, you can download the free You Version app and have hundreds of Bibles at the touch of your finger. And Jesus promises eternal life at no cost to you, too (John 3:16).

But it DOES cost something to be a Christian.

Specifically, it costs our comfort. Jesus didn’t promise that following him would put us on Easy Street. In fact, he promised just the opposite.

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33

Following Jesus Should Cost Us our Comfort

Comfort and complacency stalk hand-in-hand, blinding our eyes and numbing our sense of social justice. We secretly harbor oh-so-righteous thoughts like these:

That man with the sign on the street corner is probably a lazy panhandler who drives a better car than mine.
A kid who fills out a Christmas list for an Angel Tree should know better than to ask for an expensive dream.
God blessed me with money, and I probably shouldn’t waste it on people who won’t appreciate it.
I’d rather give online than give in person, it’s less messy that way.
Voting for politicians that support social welfare programs sends the wrong message to poor, lazy people. They should get jobs and work for what they want.
I don’t have time to recycle. I’ll leave that to the tree-huggers.
Those PETA people make me sick. They value animals over humans.
We must do something about illegal immigrants in our country. They cost us too much money.

Yes, even good Christians have thoughts like these. But Jesus warned us that before we chose to follow him, we need to count the cost.

“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
Luke 14:28

We’ll have to give up our old way of life. We can no longer look at the world through an ‘us versus them’ mindset. Following Jesus might make us uncomfortable and lead us to take crazy risks. From speaking kind words to a stranger to adopting thousands of kids as this man did.

If following Jesus hasn’t cost you anything, are you really following him?

What is the cost of Christianity? If following Jesus hasn't cost you anything, are you really following him? #discipleship #socialjustice Click To Tweet

6 Comments

We’ve got no phone or cable,
no clothes-drying-machine;
there is no dining table,
and there’s no morphine.
The money goes for dog food
and for their sleeping-crates,
which is to us the greater good,
a refuge from cruel fates.
And yes, we get the ridicule
for a life devoid of luxury,
but income, well, it’s just a tool,
and the sin of pride is penury.
There’s a shivering pup at the back door;
“Come on, buddy, we’ve room for more.”
Andrew Budek-Schmeisser recently posted…Your Dying Spouse 700 – The Grace Of Rain {FMF}