The scripture is clear – whosoever wants to be Jesus’ disciples must give up on all. In other words, the Lord becomes your source of supply, your total dependence in every aspect of your life.
In Luke 14: 28, Jesus asks, “For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” You have been called into “tower building” – the building of your life, your career, your ministry. But who would set out to go to war without first counting the cost? Those who have built before you know that sometimes you have to calculate the resources you’ll need, and when your current resources run out, you must rely on other sources to complete the project.
Jesus says everyone who sets out to build a tower must count the cost. It is in counting the cost that you’ll determine whether you’ll be able to finish the building the Lord has entrusted to you. Do you have enough resources to complete the work God has called you to?
If the Lord is your source of supply, the Bible says He who began a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6). If you give up all and the Lord becomes your source:
He becomes the one who supplies what you need to build the “tower” of your life.
He becomes the source of supply for your marriage.
He becomes the source of supply for your business.
He becomes the source of supply for your ministry.
As Jesus said in John 15:5, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”
If the Lord becomes your source, He is able to start the good work and bring it to completion. But if you don’t sit down and count the cost, realizing your own strength cannot carry you, you risk starting something you cannot finish.
Beloved, the question is, what are you holding onto? Your pride? Your personal confidence? Your self-righteousness? Jesus says until you give up on all, you cannot be His disciple. It is a critical thing to ponder. The scripture is clear – whosoever wants to be Jesus’ disciple must give up on all. The Lord must become your source of supply, your total dependence in every aspect of your life. Are you ready to surrender all and make Him your sole source?
The Lord said unless you forsake all and make Him your source of supply, you’ll be ridiculed for starting a Christian journey you couldn’t finish. You are a tower builder, not just an ordinary Christian, and the foundation you lay matters. The edifice you put up matters.
Jesus asks, “Who is he that goes to war without counting the cost?” If you count the cost and realize your strength cannot match, what will you do? Will you make peace with the enemy? Beloved, the Christian cannot make peace with the devil. The Bible says, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood but against principalities against rulers of Darkness.” The battle lines have been drawn, and it is not a choice to stand on the fringes and say, “I won’t fight. I’ll make peace.”
The devil does not understand that language. It is important to lean fully on God, who is able to run down our enemies. The Lord, when we lean on Him, was able to use Gideon with 300 men to overcome the multitude. In 2 Chronicles 20, the Lord told Jehoshaphat, “I the Lord will fight for you.” David said to Goliath, “You come against me with spear and sword, but I come against you in the Name of the Lord God whose Army you have defiled.” David’s dependence was on the Lord his God. Brethren, if the Lord becomes your source of battle, victory is assured.
In the storms and battles of life, what do you depend on? It is by His grace we do all things, not in our own ability, not in our own strength, not in our own wisdom. It is His grace that carries us through the battle of life.
Hand over the battle to Him; hand over your career to Him; hand over your marriage to Him; hand over your children to Him; hand over your home to Him; hand over your ministry and callings of God to Him.
Depending on God is part of His eternal plan for His children. Our works do not earn us salvation. It is only through the sacrifice of Jesus that we are saved.
Jesus did all the work for us when He declared, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Therefore, placing our trust in Jesus and accepting the free gift of eternal life is the greatest example of depending on Him.
By Caleb Apasah