Hope is Fading from Allan Rosenow on Vimeo.
A few weeks ago, a well-known pastor made some comments about adoption--and how a family should 'count the cost' before considering bringing an orphan into their homes. I understood the point he was trying to make but I completely disagree with his stance that 'counting the cost' before obeying God is a Scriptural principle. The term 'counting the cost' is in Luke 14 but the context is deciding if one is going to follow Jesus or not. Counting the cost of following Christ...of whether or not you want to live the Christian life is Scriptural. I cannot find any example of using it to decide if you want to obey.
- Did Noah count the cost of building an ark? If he had, I doubt it would have been built.
- Moses did not count the cost of feeding and clothing all the Israelites in their 40 year trek through the wilderness. If he had, they would still be in Egypt.
In our experience, God has provided for us AFTER we obeyed...not before. How could we accurately count the cost of raising another child if God had not yet provided the amount? If we 'counted the cost' of our parenting abilities at the time of the decision, we surely would not have proceeded. If we counted the cost regarding our finances, we would have decided we were maxed out.
No, counting the cost is not about obedience. If God tells you to do something, step out in faith. He already knows the ACCURATE cost and He knows that His wells of supply are limitless. Each time we have stepped out in faith, He has increased our abilities to do what we needed to do--be it energy, endurance, patience, finances, etc.
So if He is calling you to do something, STEP OUT in faith! Don't hide behind excuses and Christian cliches.
"I can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13
