By Ladi Ayodeji
Happy new year to all my friends and readers.
We thank God we are alive to witness another year. It’s an amazing experience. It’s unfortunate we lost many people last year; we pray for God’s protection this new year.
We also pray for good health, peace and wisdom to navigate 2025 . We rely on God’s grace to survive this year, given the complex environmental challenges.
On my part, I have reflected very deeply on what to say to my readers that could help in their quest to chart the right course from the beginning of this new year.
As I prayerfully considered what to say, the admonition of the Lord Jesus Christ in Luke 14:28, regarding counting the cost of building a tower before embarking on its construction,struck me.
Count the cost
Jesus advised that we count the cost of a project, building before we start to build to ensure we are able to finish what we start.
Otherwise, people would laugh at us if we start but are not able to finish what we started. It’s important we count the cost of whatever it is we want to do, before we start so that we could finish well and strong.That is the simple message.
This principle of counting the cost is used today by Quantity surveyors. They normally prepare what they call Bill of Quantities, when embarking on any construction job. Thus,on paper, they are able to determine the entire cost of the project before they start to execute it.
The owner of a project, using this principle of counting the cost,is able to know the cost before hand.This is the concept I want to recommend to my readers. I strongly suggest you adopt this template in all you do this year, especially in a fast changing and unpredictable economic environment.Count your cost.
Don’t take things for granted. Count the cost of anything, from projects, to relationships, from routine actions you take to mundane things. Everything comes with a cost, but many do not realize it.
The action you take,has its cost as much as your inaction. Everything comes with a price,if you are willing to pay.
Most people want to succeed but are unwilling to pay the price.
Nothing comes out of nothing, according to Shakespeare.Do nothing, expect nothing; that’s the reality of life. Prayer and fasting can’t change that reality. People tend to spiritualize everything, which is wrong.
Jesus taught us to live by faith,yet he said we should count the cost. Unless you are able to understand the context in which scriptures are given, you might think that the word of God is contradictory.
Certainly, it’s not. The word of God is true and settled. Faith has its context,it’s relevance in the scheme of things. Common sense has to be be applied in some circumstances, that’s what Jesus taught in Luke 14:28. Faith in God gives you the wisdom to rightly divide the word of God.
You can use your faith to start a project without counting the cost and believe that you would finish it. That’s possible. A man or woman of faith can accomplish anything. You will still need to know the cost of what you are expecting from God, don’t you? If you are building a business,or running a project, you should know how much it costs, even if you rely on divine intervention to execute it.
In 2025, know precisely what you want and how to go about it. You should be intentional, not speculative or rudderless, like many people.
Counting the cost also speaks of viability. If a relationship,a project or whatever it is you have been doing is not viable, stop it. You can’t know if a project or relationship is not viable if you don’t count the cost.
Companies retrench workers once their presence is not adding to the margins. If they are not making profitable contribution to the business, they are fired! You should adopt the same strategy to you personal life and business to enjoy prosperity this year.
Throw out the baggage.Shed excess weight to soar high,count the cost to stay profitable. Count the cost to determine your ability to finish the job.
Abandoned projects are the consequences of undermining the cost element. Watch before you leap. Test the waters before you jump into it, so you don’t hit your head on the rock.
That’s my admonition and I pray you take it to heart.
References Luk 14:28,Gen 1:1-10.
