Chapter 9
The Cost of Purpose
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it, lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish'?"
— Luke 14:28-30
Purpose Is Free, But Not Cheap
There is something important I need to tell you before we go further: Purpose has a cost.
Salvation is free, Christ paid for it at the cross. But walking in purpose, fulfilling your God-given assignment, operating in your divine mandate, that requires payment from you.
Not payment for salvation. Payment of commitment, sacrifice, and discipline.
Anyone who tells you that living in purpose is effortless is either lying or has never actually done it. There is a price.
Why Purpose Costs
Let me explain why purpose cannot be without cost.
1. You Still Live in a Fallen World
We established that we are in the Intermediate Purpose, still in Adamic bodies, still on cursed ground. The environment resists purpose. The flesh resists purpose. Spiritual forces resist purpose.
Ephesians 6:12:
"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Because there is resistance, there must be effort. Because there is opposition, there must be fight.
2. Purpose Requires Transformation
You cannot enter your place of purpose as you currently are. Purpose requires becoming. And becoming is painful.
Romans 12:2:
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."
Transformation means the death of the old. The old habits, the old mindsets, the old relationships that hinder purpose, all must die. Dying hurts.
3. Purpose Serves Others
Ultimately, purpose is not for your own benefit. Purpose is for the benefit of others through you. This means sacrifice.
Mark 10:45:
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
If Jesus's purpose required giving His life, why would yours be comfortable?
What Purpose Will Cost You
Let me be specific about the costs you should expect.
1. Time
Purpose will cost you time. Time you could spend on entertainment. Time you could spend on sleep. Time you could spend on selfish pursuits.
Purpose requires study. Purpose requires service. Purpose requires development. None of these are free.
Ephesians 5:15-16:
"See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
Redeeming the time means buying it back from purposeless activities.
2. Comfort
Purpose will make you uncomfortable. It will stretch you beyond what you thought you could handle. It will place you in situations you would never choose.
God does not call the equipped; He equips the called. But the equipping process is not comfortable.
3. Relationships
Some relationships will not survive your pursuit of purpose. Some people are comfortable with the purposeless version of you. When you change, they may not follow.
Luke 14:26:
"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple."
Jesus is not promoting hatred. He is warning that purpose may create distance where closeness used to be. Some will choose not to journey with you.
4. Money
Purpose may cost you financially. Education for purpose. Resources for purpose. Giving for purpose. Saying no to lucrative opportunities that conflict with purpose.
5. Reputation
Some will not understand your choices. Some will mock your dedication. Some will call you foolish for what you sacrifice.
1 Corinthians 4:10:
"We are fools for Christ's sake."
If you want everyone's approval, you cannot fully embrace purpose.
6. Pleasure
Some pleasures that are not sinful but are distracting will need to be released. Purpose requires focus, and focus requires the elimination of distractions, even enjoyable ones.
7. Control
Ultimately, walking in purpose means surrendering control of your life to God. You cannot hold the steering wheel and let God drive simultaneously.
Luke 9:23:
"If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me."
Denying yourself is the ultimate cost. Your will, your plans, your preferences, all submitted to His purpose.
The Cost Is Not Optional
Someone might think: "I will follow God, but I will avoid these costs. I will find an easier path to purpose."
There is no easier path.
If you refuse to pay the cost, you forfeit the purpose.
This is why many believers know they have a purpose but never walk in it. The cost seemed too high. They wanted the benefits without the payments.
Is It Worth It?
Now the honest question: Is purpose worth the cost?
Let me answer with Scripture.
Jesus's Answer
Hebrews 12:2:
"Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Jesus weighed the cost (the cross) against the reward (the joy, the throne) and decided it was worth it. The cost was brutal. The reward was eternal.
Paul's Answer
Philippians 3:7-8:
"But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."
Paul gave up everything, his reputation, his position, his comfort, eventually his life. His conclusion? Everything else was rubbish compared to knowing Christ and fulfilling purpose.
The Martyrs' Answer
Revelation 12:11:
"And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death."
Men and women throughout history have paid with their lives for purpose. Their testimony? Worth it.
A Different Calculation
The problem is that we often calculate wrongly. We compare what we lose now to what we gain now. That is bad math.
The correct calculation compares what you lose temporarily to what you gain eternally.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18:
"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
Light affliction? But for a moment? Paul was beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, imprisoned, and called it light and momentary compared to eternal glory.
This is the correct math. When you see eternity clearly, the cost of purpose becomes a bargain.
Count the Cost Before You Commit
Jesus told us to count the cost. He did not want impulsive followers who would quit when things got hard.
Luke 14:28-30:
"For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it, lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish'?"
Many start strong in purpose but do not finish. They did not count the cost. The first difficulty stopped them.
My challenge to you: Count the cost now. Know what you are signing up for. And then sign up anyway, because the reward far exceeds the price.
The Cost of Not Pursuing Purpose
One more consideration: What happens if you refuse to pay the cost of purpose?
You pay a different cost, the cost of purposelessness.
- Wasted years
- Unfulfilled potential
- Lingering regret
- The pain of "what might have been"
- Standing before God with empty hands
Which cost would you rather pay? The cost of purpose that leads to fulfillment? Or the cost of avoiding purpose that leads to emptiness?
Everyone pays. The only question is: Payment for what?
Reflection Questions
- What is the greatest cost you have already paid in pursuing God's purpose?
- What cost are you currently hesitant to pay? Why?
- How does viewing the cost in light of eternity change your calculation?
- Which would you rather pay: the cost of purpose or the cost of purposelessness?
Prayer
Father, I understand now that purpose is not free. Forgive me for wanting the reward without the sacrifice. Give me the courage to pay the price. Help me see that what I lose is temporary, but what I gain is eternal. I choose to follow You, no matter the cost. Let me not be one who starts and does not finish. Complete in me what You have begun. In Jesus' name, Amen.
Conclusion of Part One
We have now completed our study of The Four Dispensations of Purpose:
- The Original Purpose, God's perfect design for humanity
- The Failed Purpose, When Adam chose self-rule over God's rule
- The Intermediate Purpose, Where we are now, caught between the fall and the restoration
- The Restored Purpose, What awaits us at Christ's return
This foundation is essential. Without understanding these dispensations, you cannot properly interpret your current struggles or your future hope.
In Part Two, we will go deeper. We will examine what it truly means to enter your place of purpose while living in the Intermediate dispensation. We will discuss the heart of God, the placement of Adam, the significance of location, and how to serve God even in a world full of thorns.
The journey continues.