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Have you ever gone to the grocery store and filled your cart with groceries, and then after the cashier has checked in all of your goods, you realized that you had taken more products than you had the money for? Or have you ever run out of gas, halfway to your destination, while driving along the highway? Maybe you started a project, but became distracted along the way by something else. Perhaps you ran out of money and had to stop the project before completion.
The usual feeling when any of these things happens to us is embarrassment, and it causes us to reflect on what we could have done to prevent this from happening. The cause of each of these problems is simple. They are caused by a lack of planning – in other words, not properly counting the cost.
Counting the cost means taking the time to properly estimate the required sacrifice and resources needed to accomplish a task, before embarking upon it. Simply put, counting the cost is planning a work or a project before starting it.
Luke 14:25–33 is entitled "Leaving All to Follow Christ." By this time, great multitudes had begun to follow our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. But Jesus recognized that most of those among the multitudes were following Him purely for the benefits that they thought He may provide for them. They had not considered the sacrifice that being His disciple would require, and so He stopped to challenge them all to count the cost.
The cost of being a disciple of Jesus includes forsaking your father, mother, children, brothers, sisters, and even your own life, and bearing your own cross. This means if you desire to be a true follower of Christ, you must value Him more than you value your family and yourself. You must be willing to place Jesus above your family if following your family would mean compromising His teachings. You must put aside your personal ambitions and desires if they do not line up with His will for your life. Jesus did not want a crowd - He wanted disciples.
He knew that in times of trouble, the crowd would scatter, but the disciples would persevere through suffering. In challenging times, the crowd would turn against him, but the disciples would stay with Him. In times of persecution, the crowd would try to save their lives, but the disciples would be willing to lose their lives for His sake. Why? Because the disciples had counted the cost, and they were willing to pay it.
As a Biblical Entrepreneur, you must not only count the cost of following Jesus in the marketplace, but you must also count the cost of starting and growing the businesses He has entrusted you with. The cost of becoming a Biblical Entrepreneur not only involves giving up the opportunity of receiving regular paychecks and health benefits from a 9 to 5 job, but also the financial expenses of starting or expanding the business. The human sacrifices include pleasurable things the Biblical Entrepreneur has to sacrifice in the early phases of the business (e.g. vacation and leisure time).
How do you count the cost?
- Develop a business plan. If you have started already, slow the business down to give yourself time to develop a plan.
- Evaluate how much human and financial resources you will need to start or expand the business. The various cost to consider are:
- Opportunity cost – the value of what you must give up to start a new business or expand the business.
- Startup cost – the expenses required to launch a new business or project.
- Cost of Goods or Services Sold - the expenses incurred for each unit of product or service you sell to the customer.
- Operational Cost - the expenses that you will incur on a monthly basis to cover the overhead of the business, i.e. Utilities, Salaries, Insurance, Adverting, Transportation, Supplies, etc. These expenses are required whether you sell one unit or not.
- Evaluate your commitment to representing Christ in the marketplace. Will you stand for Him even if it means losing the business or your life?
Counting the cost has great benefits; not only does it ensure that you are able to finish, but it also prevents you from embarrassing yourself and your God. To finish means to take the business to a state of stability and sustainability. While counting the cost, if you realize that you do not have enough resources to be successful, you still have the time to change your course, or not proceed with the business.
Jesus never took up a fight He could not win, or started an assignment He could not finish, and He expects the same from His disciples. Go ahead, pay the price now and count the cost. You will not regret it, and you will protect yourself from embarrassment.
My prayer for you is that God will give you the wisdom to count the cost before launching a new business or growing an existing one, and the grace to finish it well.
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