Count the cost

How many of you have a household budget? 

The concept is to help you keep track of your income and your outgo of your finances. And the purpose is to be balanced or spending less than you bring in.

The problem with budgeting is, there is often more month at the end of the money. This comes from lack of proper planning. 

We tend to fall into temptation of buying more than we need. 

Discipleship and stewardship are closely linked. To be a good steward of our money we have to be very disciplined with our spending.

And sadly, many will not tithe or give offerings when they are undisciplined in their spending. Some even make brash promises to God that IF He does ________________, they will give Him ___________.

Why don't they give God first and trust in His care? As a matter of fact the one and only time we are "invited" to put God to the test is with our giving. Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need. (Malachi 3:10 ESV)

Stewardship and Discipleship both bring many blessings.

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.’ (Luke 14:28-30 ESV)

Monument to failure

Not far from my home, along interstate 68 in Maryland, a replica of Noah's Ark is being built. It is going to be actual size and house a church and a gymnasium. It should be very impressive when completed. 

However, it was begun in 1976. It is well over 40 years and it is still just the partial framework.

The man building it is confident that he can convince the neighbors to donate the adjacent land that is needed and he is just as sure that all funding will be forthcoming.

However, locally, it is kind of a joke. 

Everyone mocks him just like the biblical Noah was mocked for believing that it would rain and flood the earth.

The steel structure seems to be, a giant monument to his failure to plan.

I do not know the true circumstances of his funding, or lack thereof. I do not know if the land rumors are true or false. But it does seem to me that it may forever just be a shell of what might have been.

Jesus was talking to his disciples and teaching them about, well, discipleship. He used the following verses as part of His teaching:

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.’ (Luke 14:28-30 ESV)

Makes me wonder about all the people that come into the faith without considering the cost. How many people want the faith without being willing to give up the world.

Many want God on Sunday and the world every other day. But God wants all of us. 

We all must "give up" certain things to follow Jesus. Is it worth it to you?

What on this earth could be more valuable and cherish able than our salvation? 

It's up to each of us, we must choose. Have you counted the cost, or are you building a giant monument of failure?

Caregiver

One of the hardest jobs in the world is being a caregiver. 

It is a challenge physically, emotionally as well as mentally and spiritually sometimes.

A caregiver is the least noticed person by most unless you are the one receiving the care. 

In my former job at a nursing home, the residents often would prefer me over their own family members. And that comes from the complete trust that they place with the person who provides their care.

But sadly, many caregivers neglect their own selves. 

They will dole out every ounce of kindness, compassion and energy on others often at the high cost of their own health.

Pray for those with big, beautiful hearts of compassion. It is a spiritual gift that we don't all possess. I pray to God that we did.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 ESV

Good Intentions

Have you ever thought of doing or saying something nice for someone, then didn't do it right away, and then it never gets done at all?

I have. And it feels rotten.

I have so many good intentions and then something distracts me from getting it done. 

Why is is so hard to keep my focus on what would so obviously bring joy and blessings?

Satan distracts. He will place things in front of me that will seem more important or of a higher priority. And I sometimes choose badly.

Lord, help me to be alert to the prowling lion that seeks to devour the right things that I know to do.

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

James 4:17 ESV

Thanks

It is so easy to say "Thank you." It is one of the first things that children are usually taught once they learn how to speak. 

Showing gratitude toward someone who has been kind to us should be second nature, yet often we don't. And even worse, sometimes we "expect" others to do for and get upset when they don't.

What ever happened to treating people the way that we would like to be treated?

Lord, I pray that I will always be grateful for Your blessings.

“And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?”

Luke 17:12-17 ESV

Blessed?

Why does it seem like evil, wicked people have it so good in this life?

Things just line up and go well for them while I/we struggle and endure through everything?

When I/we count our blessings it's hard not to compare our list with people of the world that seem to have it all. 

“For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pangs until death; their bodies are fat and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.”

Psalms 73:3-5 ESV

But think about it,

Would you rather be in their shoes? Would you rather have worldly possessions and no salvation?

Do not envy those that don't know the Lord.

Keep working with all your heart and might. Struggle to possess that which can never be taken away or rot.

Breaking Up

In the case of a divorce, no one ever wins. A bond of unity is broken and it affects more than just two people. If there are children, their lives will be changed forever and the stability that they always believed in is shattered.

In laws, siblings, and even common friends all have to change the dynamics of their relationships with the two people that are divorcing.

Even if the splitting couple come to amicable agreement in settling things afterward, there will long be ripples in the pond of their lives.

Now compare all of that to a church split. 

It is a very sad event and many people will be affected. Longtime members become very disheartened. New believers will not understand and have a distorted view of spirituality. Church leaders worry and become heavily burdened. But most of all the church becomes a mockery to people of the world.

How on earth do these things happen?

The church is full of people, human beings. The people have been washed in the blood of Jesus and have had their sins washed away. However, they are still human. They will still sin. Christians are not perfect people. (Gasp!)

And anytime people are around each other, there will eventually be problems. 

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3 ESV)

People can be selfish, people can be overly sensitive, people can be blunt, people will disappoint, people lack compassion, people gossip, people manipulate, people expect things from you, people harbor grudges. And the faults go on and on.

What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:1-4 ESV)

bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:13 ESV)

Our focus should be Christ, His Kingdom and His work. We should be responding to people with love, kindness, inclusiveness, and always forgiveness.

And if, still a church splits, the only way for any involved to ever heal from that is to avoid taking sides, refrain from participating in gossip, work at bringing about peace, seek God's guidance, be very disciplined, re focus on Christ and His Kingdom. Every action, thought and words should come from humility. 

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32 ESV)

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11-14 ESV)