Today’s 333 Devotional: “Finishing What We Start”

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it–lest, after he has laid the 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)

Now, a tower wasn’t a luxury item. It wasn’t like a second home or a new garage to hold more stuff. A tower in those days was a necessity for the life of a community and to keep their fields safe from predators.

Towers were structures used for defense and for protection. It was either a part of a city’s wall or it was out in the fields, and its purpose was to warn the city’s inhabitants or the workers of any danger that may be coming.

And so, Jesus was saying that discipleship is something that everyone must build in their own lives. In the Great Commission Jesus said to go and make disciples. There is intentionality in our actions when we become disciples, which is what this illustration is all about.

It isn’t about doing a cost analysis as to whether or not to build a tower, but rather it was about whether or not we are prepared to pay the price to complete it; whether or not we’re prepared to pay the price of discipleship.

It’s not a look before you leap sort of proposal, but a leap anyway and make sure you do whatever it takes to make it to the other side. It’s all about finishing.

It’s about taking the time and estimating the cost involved and then gathering the resources necessary to finish Are we willing to commit it all to finishing the race, and to do whatever it takes to complete the process?

Therefore, the cost of discipleship is a willingness on our part to give our all to finish well.