The Christian Iife | a 6-Day Skate Church Movement Devotionalಮಾದರಿ

Counting the cost

“If you refuse to take up your cross and follow me, you are not worthy of being mine. If you cling to your life, you will lose it; but if you give up your life for me, you will find it.” Matthew 10:38-39

Have you ever thought about what it means to count the cost of the things that are important in your life? As skateboarders, we pour a ton of money into skating: new boards, shoes, and our bodies. Not to mention the time that goes into skating with practicing, and traveling to different parks or street spots. Some of us have even gone as far as to build our own ramps so that we can skate at home. All this time and money are being spent to pursue something we love! If we truly love something, we will justify any expense that it takes. Even if we have given up the hope of going pro or getting a sponsor, within each of us is the desire to continue improving and learning new tricks, and in that desire for progression, there is a cost that must be calculated.

In the same way as Christians, or really anyone, before making the decision to put their faith in Christ, there is a point where we need to pause and count the cost of what that decision really means. Jesus tells His followers in John 16:33 that “here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Jesus never promised any of His followers that it would be an easy decision to follow Him. In fact, nearly all of His closest followers were martyred for their faith in Christ. Following Christ may not be easy, but we know that it is worth it. Much like skateboarding, we know we’re going to take slams, we’re going to break boards, or tear up shoes, but is it worth it to still skate? Of course!

Below is a little acronym for counting the C.O.S.T. that I hope will help you process what the decision to follow Christ looks like.

C. Choose to Invest. This looks like letting go of the things of this world and giving those over to serve God and others. All of our time, money, resources, etc., all become Christ’s. (1 Peter 4:10)

O. Open Your Mind: As humans, we have to understand that we aren’t God. The way that He works might look different than we think it should, but if we allow God to renew our minds, we begin to see the world through His lens and not our own. (Romans 12:2)

S. Surrender: This is really the first step in receiving salvation. It’s the act of giving up on our lives and surrendering our will to Christ. (Matthew 10:38-39)

T. Transformation: When we make the decision to give our lives to Christ, we are transformed. We look different, and that transformation is easily visible to those around us. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

If you broke your board, would you try to save money and go to Walmart to buy a new deck, or would you spend what you needed to in order to buy a real board? Sure, a cheap deck might last for a day or two, but it’ll never replace a real deck. The same is true for the things of this world. Don’t try to “save money” and substitute the things of this world over Christ. It’s not worth it!

Pushing Further

1. Have you counted the cost of following Jesus?
2. Does the thought of giving everything up scare you?
3. Are there things that God is calling you to give up in order to follow Him?

Want more content like this? We adapted this Plan from a 52-week Skate Church Movement Devotional Book. Get your book at skatechurchmovement.com.