Costly

"One Million Workers. 90 Million iPhones. 17 Suicides. Should we care?" This was the cover of Wired magazine this month. The article chronicled the working conditions in China where iPhones are made. Interesting and surprising read. Or is it? We all know that the products we enjoy in this country - everything from our favorite shirt to the phone stuck to our hand - has the label "Made in China/Bangladesh/India" on it. We routinely ignore these labels. Even with stories like this one, we ponder for a moment and then conveniently forget the real cost of our stuff. These are countries where there are no mandatory posting of workers' rights, and the word union has little or no meaning. Let's face it. We love our stuff and the only cost we truly care about is what we see on our bank statement.

But the true cost of our stuff isn't the only area where we ignore the subtle costs that relate to the critical areas of life. What is the true cost of a husband regularly tuning out his wife in favor of Sportscenter? Intimacy. Growth. What is the true cost of busyness? Burnout. Stress. What is the true cost of three trips to McDonald's every week? Trips to the doctor. Angioplasty. Deep down we know that these possibilities can become realities if we continue ignoring the risks. But the cost of change is the most difficult for us to accept. Changing our behavior is not comfortable. It's painful and hard work. The idea sounds great, but when it costs us something, our excitement wains.

I guess that's what Jesus was talking about in Luke 14 when he said, "Sit down and count the cost." Deciding to follow him is a serious decision. Say yes to Christ and his teachings only if you are willing to embrace ALL of his teachings and weave them into the very fabric of your being. If you don't calculate the changes necessary, it will cost you. You will be frustrated, unfulfilled and disappointed. In the end, you won't change and everyone will see you as a fraud.

A life following Christ is one that embraces the cost of change. I cannot forget who made me, and certainly can't forget who transformed me. And when I begin to depart from Christ's teachings, mess up or forget my purpose, it is His grace and forgiveness that reshapes me once again. This is a costly process. It costs me my pride, my desires, my independence and more. I don't always give up those things in a timely fashion or without a fight, but when I do, it's worth it.

Just like Jesus' followers in Luke 14 needed wake up calls, so do we. Sometimes it's a doctor's visit. Other times it's a heart to heart with a loved one. Wired reported that once the suicides reached double digits, Apple decided they needed to change some working conditions. That's a costly wake up call. Fortunately, a Christ follower who is faithful in the community and prayer/devotional life has two advisors that will prevent such a costly wake up call. The first is the Holy Spirit who is our "Counselor" and will nudge us gently when we start to forget the cost of our actions. The other is our faith community, or as the New Testament consistently refers, the power of "one another." Fellow Christ followers must also nudge one another when they start down a path that will prove costly. God has built in these safeguards because He knows the difficult nature of counting the cost.

I guess that's what I love the most about this journey. Yea, it's costly. But I'm not walking alone. And as someone who lived life without Real Life Change before, I know the rewards are worth it!