Count the Cost
“It’s one thing to pin a bunch of photos to a “Future Weddinggg” board on Pinterest and get giddy with the girlfriends over the color palette you love before you’re even engaged, but when you say “yes” to your future groom and the practicalities of planning for the wedding begins, there is now a real cost associated with every pin that was added as a dream before.”
DREAMS ARE EASY…UNTIL THEY AREN’T
I’m a dreamer. I find myself in worlds of whimsy and imagination more often than not. The list is long of both the realistic and perhaps unrealistic goals I have, and it’s only getting longer — the people I want to meet, the places I would love to explore, the activities I would like to accomplish. My go to at the core is to dream big. Anytime someone has challenged me to dream even bigger, it has only fueled my curiosity and excitement more for what is to come. There is a real childlike wonder that arises in me when any of the “Nothing is impossible” or “Is anything too hard for Me?” verses pop up.
Though that’s great in some ways, I’ve often held even my deepest dreams with more optimism and idealism than any realist would agree is healthy. I can at times underestimate what it truly takes to see a dream happen. Progress becomes a reality check.
After my recent “yes” to the Lord, I have found myself experiencing a wide range of emotions. I have felt an extreme sense of anticipation and excitement for the fullness I believe this season will bring. I have also experienced deep grief yet gratitude as He has started to show me some of the areas He plans to redeem and restore. I’ve felt a lot of sadness for the time apart I will have from my family, friends, and life that has been built where I currently am. The words that have been rattling around in my mind are, “Dreams are easy, until they aren’t.” I want to explain that a bit more because I know that holding dreams isn’t always easy either…
It is one thing to have a dream; it’s another thing to actually experience the movement towards those dreams. It is often in that progress that you realize just how much it will cost you. God-sized-dreams are jam packed with opportunity for deeper surrender. It stretches you in some way.
TRUST IN THE LORD
Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.”
When I read these, what stands out to me is that when a plan is submitted to Him, we can expect for Him to straighten the plan and to be victorious in His plan. We know from Jeremiah 29:11 that His plans are to prosper us, not to harm us, and to give us a hope and a future. We can trust Him in that, but be ready. It may first start with us having to lay our Isaac on the altar. He knows what is needed. We don’t need to lean on our own understanding, and we can actually find peace in that.
COUNT THE COST
Luke 14:27-33 says, “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 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’? Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
What does this look like with the dreams that we have on our hearts? Have you counted the cost?
I want to offer one practical example for the ladies.
It’s one thing to pin a bunch of photos to a “Future Weddinggg” board on Pinterest and get giddy with the girlfriends over the color palette you love before you’re even engaged, but when you say “yes” to your future groom and the practicalities of planning for the wedding begins, there is now a real cost associated with every pin that was added as a dream before. You now have to count the cost. Some adjustments may need made from the initial vision. I’ve been told this part doesn’t feel as giddy. At the end of the day though, everyone I’ve talked to has said the same thing. “Ultimately, I’ll be marrying the love of my life, and that’s what matters.”
What does it look like to loosen our white knuckles around our initial vision of the dream? Are we placing value on the right thing — Him? Ultimately, is what matters to us the fact that we get to be with our Bridegroom?
SET GOD AS THE PRIORITY
As I was reading through some Bible stories yesterday, I was reminded of the ways that others counted the cost, submitted their plans to the Lord, or sought Him for their own “dreams”.
King David wasn’t willing to offer burnt offerings to the Lord that didn’t cost him something. The result? The Lord heeded David’s prayers and withdrew the plague from Israel (2 Samuel 24:22-25)
Abraham prioritized obedience and was willing to sacrifice his only son. The result was the Lord blessing his descendants with the cities of their enemies and blessing him. (Genesis 22:1-2, 11-12, 17-18)
Hannah pre-committed full ownership of her future child to the Lord for all the days of his life. The result was that the Lord answered her request for a child. God then used him in a very instrumental way. (1 Samuel 1:11, 19-20, 27-28).
When Jesus was in Bethany, a woman poured a very costly fragrant oil over his head from her alabaster flask. As a result, Jesus defended it to his disciples and noted it as good work. He then said that wherever the gospel is preached in the world, that what the woman had done would also be told as a memorial to her. That’s some serious acknowledgment! (Matthew 26:6-13)
In each of these instances, they surrendered something that held value to them and set God as the priority. They walked in obedience and in relationship with Him, and He blessed it. Some of my takeaways from these verses:
That which costs us, also purifies.
That which costs us, shows Him that He is our first love.
That which costs us, reminds us that He can do anything with us when He has full ownership.
That which costs us, opens the door for honor and favor in return.
Further reflection. We aren’t just blessed when we count the cost and carry our cross. He also blesses us with the cost He paid on the cross He carried. Double portion! Can we just process this? These are just skimming the surface.
That which cost Him, restored us to Him.
That which cost Him, created eternal life for us.
That which cost Him, is a veil-torn communing that we get to have with Him every day.
That which cost Him, gave us a Bridegroom and wedding day.
That which cost Him, is literally a mansion being built in advance for us.
Talk about Love! John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.”
ABIDE - HE IS THE REWARD
Living in surrender, open-handed with your dreams is worth it because your reward is the fullness of Him, His friendship, His plans, His blessing.
In the moments where your dream doesn’t feel as whimsical as it did before, it feels like it’s being torn apart, or it is costing you more than you expected, remember that every branch that bears fruit, He prunes so that it will bear more fruit.
John 15:7-16:
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
“As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
When our dreams are submitted to Him, we can be “confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6)
There is a cost to walking with Jesus. There is also great reward. It’s Him.
Prayer:
Jesus, help me to surrender all of my dreams, my plans, and my emotions to you.
I want You more than anything else.
I pray that You would make my path straight. I pray that my ears would be open to hear your voice, my Shepherd, leading me in paths of righteousness.
Thank you for your love that just wants me more than anything I do or accomplish.