Costly
Following Christ can be costly, but it's worth every dollar and every second of my time. In order to fully follow Christ we have to give up our entire lives. God never asks us to suffer for the sake of suffering. He never asks us to give up something good unless he plans to replace it with something better. When you give him your life, I believe he is replacing it for a better life with him. In Luke 14:25-35 Jesus made sure everyone knew the cost of following him. As believers we have to make sure that we count the cost DAILY no matter how far we are in our walk. Jesus said we must hate our own life and family in order to follow him. (Luke 14:26) This was obviously a metaphor, but what he meant was we must put him first, above all. Counting the cost can remind us how expensive salvation is and how we can't afford sin. When I think about everything I have been delivered from, I can't help but think, "No sin is worth losing all of the freedom I have gained in Christ." It's not worth losing my "saltiness". (Luke 14:34-35) We have come too far to let the cost of sin afford us our salvation. My salvation is way too expensive to lose! We can't blend in with the ways of the world, but we must be set apart. (Romans 12:2) When you lose your saltiness, you lose your worth. How "salty" are you?
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To follow Jesus means to lose self, humbly. When you become one with Christ social status, the car you drive, and neither does your reputation matter. We must commit to serving Jesus, not keeping up with society. In Luke 14:7-14 Jesus told a parable about how guests should pick their seats at the table. He concluded that those who exalt themselves will be humbled and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Luke 14:11) Humility does not require self-degradation. Yes, work hard to buy your dream car and have a good reputation, but these desires should not come before serving God. It's ok to want nice things, but the things we want from this life shouldn't be idolized. God wants you to have a GOOD life, but also a life that represents him. Does your life represent Christ? If so, in what ways? If not, How can you represent God more in your life and relationships?
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Another parable Jesus told in Luke 14 was The Parable of The Great Feast. I have a YouTube video where I talk about this parable in detail, I will leave it linked below!