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We have only a few days left in 2022. It is time for us to count the cost. The term “count the cost” has its’ origins in the Bible. And Jesus used it with his disciples to prove a point about thinking and planning. In Luke 14:25-33, Jesus is encouraging his followers to think about what it means to follow him. The Word says, as Christ Followers we are called to be imitators of Christ. As true Followers we must evaluate ourselves daily and see where we are in our life with Christ.

Following Christ means we will turn our lives over completely to the trust of Jesus Christ. We turn over our desires, our will to Jesus Christ. That is not always easy because we are human. Many times, we operate on how we feel or what we see. We allow that type of emotional or visual interaction determine how we will live our lives. If we are not careful, we can get off course and drift away from God instead of to God. The Word explains that man sees the outside, but God looks at the heart -the inside. If we are always looking outward, then we cannot possibly see the deep: Spiritual.

One time my husband and I attended a friend’s church service. The preacher walked over and said to my husband you will be a great businessman. My husband was dressed in a suit with a white dress shirt and tie. What the preacher did not know was that my husband was also in the military. Years later he retired from the Air Force and has no interest in running a company. That man was dialed into what he saw, but he was not sensitive or tuned in to what God was doing with my husband. It was much deeper than what the man could see.

Moving forward this coming year be mindful to “count the cost.” “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron…”. (1Timothy 4:1) It is possible for a Christ Follower to be deceived if they allow themselves to be so focused on the outward man, to be consumed by hypocrisy, to be deceived by wrong teachings all because we are not willing to trust Jesus Christ with our very lives. May live in such a way that with everything we have we Follow Christ so much so that others may come to know Him! Blessings on our 2023.

Yvette Perrin can be reached at theword2yvette@gmail.com.