GodReflection: Power Words

Seldom do I regret the purchase of an expensive item. I find I often repent of a purchase when my attraction was the low cost.

I like to think of cost in terms of gain rather than in terms of pain.

In the history of the church, the book The Cost of Discipleship by the German Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer, has to be one of the most widely read.

He reminds me that Jesus paid the high cost of discipleship not his followers.

Pulpits often challenge both lost and found with the cost of following Jesus.

Here is what I think:

With the ultimate cost of discipleship paid in full, I find cost to be a great word of power.

Cost is the vehicle that carries value. The value is the gift. To me that makes more sense than to dwell on the gain than any temporal difficulty that comes my way due to my acceptance of God’s gift.

I wouldn’t turn down the gift of a new car because I learn the cost of oil and fuel is mine.

Frankly, I don’t have to be the brightest bulb in the room to see the high cost that comes with not following Jesus. 

Even in my own weakness and lack of perfection, I need only look at the mess created by those who live powered by their own steam. The cost of living that way is too high.

I marvel at the tempo of the game as I play the last third of the contest. Jesus’ little brother James got it right, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

Life is short. I want to get it right. The cost of loss is too high. My success depends solely on my decision to play the game of life with Jesus as my coach. I will go down with the losing team should I decide to the contrary.

There are times on earth when stench from hell comes into focus. The daily roll call of crime, war, loss, hunger, anger, and strife, should be enough to burn anyone’s nostrils.

Sure, I look forward to seeing strikes from hell as past tense.

However, what I most foresee is the gain. The awareness of heaven springs out in powerful anticipation from every proverbial corner within Scripture.

Every good and joy offered on earth will be mine in greater degree in a forever eternity.

All pain and trial of my earthly walk will disappear. Only perfection will exist in the eternal presence of God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit.

To miss that makes the cost of loss unthinkable.

Jesus gives the summation: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.”

I’ve tasted the water of life. It makes me want to camp eternally by the spring.

Stay tuned.

Dr. Gary J. Sorrells – A GodReflection on the Power of Cost.

Gary@GodReflection.org       www.MakeYourVisionGoViral.com