Yes, There is a Cost

Take a walk down the path of life and along the way you will find many surprises. The cost of living is high; it is not for the weak or the faint at heart. Living requires courage; it will take all the tenacity that you can muster.

The high road is never the easy road; it will grind you down to the bone and reveal the weakness on the inside. You will be given the opportunity to take advantage of each obstacle that comes in your way. A person without a vision will never take the high road, there are too many punishing storms that drown the weak and break the undetermined soul.

There cannot be a testimony without a test and no advancement without resistance.

Living must be intentional; failing to plan is planning to fail. Success does not knock on anyone’s door. To measure your success in life you have to take a look at your potential and then go beyond that. We are not called to what we can do; we are measured against the standard of Heaven. If you are living in what you can manage, then you are settling for what YOU can produce and that is way below Heavens standard. Try taking a step beyond what you are capable of and place your foot in the steps of Jesus.

... So you don’t think you have what it takes? You are right; because this road of life requires supernatural help. Our battles are not against flesh and blood, not against other human beings or our own bad decisions. We are at war against a force that is unseen to the human eye. Your discernment will be honed and your courage will be tested. Control is mostly a myth; sometimes you can control yourself but you cannot control the circumstances of life, you can only decide what your response will be to these events. A response should be pre-meditated. As Ed said last night, if you eat only once a week at church, you will be anemic and weak, unable to fight the enemy or feed yourself. The more you eat, the stronger you will be - and follow the pattern of the wilderness children by gathering and eating before the sunrise, before your day begins.

Yes - The cost of living is high. Our lives are shaped by the heavy storms that adversity brings; and we should prepare ourselves ahead of time. Life is worth living and it is worth living right. Count the cost before you start; look at your life with the end in mind. We are all going to die someday, but we will not all live. What will your choices be?