Day 26: Count the cost, honestly

Reflect

Jesus once used a very ordinary image when he was talking about commitment. Which of you, he asked, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, to see whether you have enough to finish it? It is an endorsement of planning. Faith and practical wisdom are not opposites.

In this season, counting the cost can feel frightening, because it means facing figures and timelines you would rather avoid. But it is also a kindness. A plan built on honest knowledge is much steadier than one built on hope or dread alone.

We said on day five that this is not financial advice, and that remains true. Rules differ widely between places and situations, and a qualified adviser or an official source can tell you what applies. What we can say here is more modest: if you have not yet sat down and looked clearly at your practical position, consider doing it soon, and consider doing it with someone you trust.

A few simple questions can help. What are my essential commitments? What time do I realistically have to explore the next step? What support is available to me, and who could I ask about it? What could I reduce or pause without too much harm? None of these need dramatic answers. They are about seeing the shape of things.

It can help to separate the practical from the emotional. The facts are one thing. How you feel about the facts is another. You can acknowledge both. Write the facts down, and then write how you feel about them, and bring both to prayer.

If the position is hard, say so to someone who can help. Please do not carry it silently. And if it is better than you feared, that is worth knowing too, and worth giving thanks for.

Verse

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?”

Luke 14:28 (KJV)

Journal

What are my essential commitments, and what is my realistic timeline? What do I feel when I look at them honestly?

One small action

Set aside thirty minutes to write down your practical position on one page. Then arrange a conversation with a qualified adviser or an official source for anything you are unsure about.

A 60-second breath prayer

Breathe in: “Give me clear eyes”

Breathe out: “and a steady heart”

Breathe slowly for about a minute, saying the first line as you breathe in and the second as you breathe out.