The Cost of Discipleship

The Cost of Discipleship

Jessie Levi

Southern Wesleyan University

MGMT 3623

7/18/2015

Decision making is a challenge that everyone is bound to be faced with at some point or another. Many of these decisions are relatively insignificant and can be made with very little consideration or analyzation, however many decisions will require much more consideration. To make the best decision there are several points to consider, one of the most influential aspects used in decision making is the “cost” of the decision. The cost of a decision can be evaluated in several different ways, depending upon the circumstances. In some cases the cost is referring to an actual monetary cost that can be exhibited in actual dollars and cents, while other times it could be referring to a time or memories that can be missed by missing a child’s first step. Many would agree that the latter of the two is much more important than any amount of money, because events such as these are lost forever and cannot be duplicated. Throughout the Bible Jesus mentions the cost of following Him, and being one of his disciples.

In Luke 14 (NIV), large crowds were following Jesus when he turns to them and states, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters-yes, even their own life- such a person cannot be my disciple. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” Initially the first statement that he makes in this passage is surprising, considering the fact that the majority of Christianity is based around love and caring for others. When using the word hate, Jesus is simply implying that our love for him must be so great, that in comparison, our love for everything else is meaningless. Jesus knew that although a large crowd was following him, their reasons differed greatly. Some where there for noble reasons, such as gaining a better understanding of his teachings to be a better follower of Christ (Cole,...