I’ve learned over the past 12 years in the gym that building muscle costs time, discipline, and sacrifice. Only the person doing the workout can decide if they will wholeheartedly put in the work. There are no shortcuts to the “new year new you” social media talks about. Jesus says, “Don’t begin until you count the cost.” It’s a call to evaluate before commitment. He doesn’t do this to scare us, but to prepare us. When you take time to count the cost upfront, before setting that new goal for 2026, you’re less likely to quit when it gets uncomfortable.
“But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. They would say, ‘There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it!” Luke 14:28-30 NLT
He compares commitment to building a structure that requires planning, resources, and the resolve to finish. Jesus says the builder who fails to count the cost may lay a foundation and then run out of resources before finishing (Luke 14:29). That’s familiar territory. January often fills us with motivation and good intentions, but most of us will discover that motivation is a limited resource.
Planning for the new year is about honesty. Jesus asks us to consider what will this goal cost me in time, energy, focus, and comfort? What sacrifices am I willing to make so I don’t abandon the work halfway through? In the gym, progress comes from consistency, NOT intensity. Time under tension builds muscle and sculpts a body. A spiritual foundation, a family, or a business built intentionally and correctly can support the structure, but a rushed one eventually cracks. So as you make plans this year, consider different questions.
Consider Different Questions
- What do I want to build?
- What am I willing to commit to?
- What habits will get me through the hard days?
- What disciplines will keep me building when no one else sees the progress?
Jesus ends this teaching with a sobering lesson: unfinished work becomes a testimony of our misplaced commitment (Luke 14:30). When we count the cost before we begin, we aren’t limiting ourselves; we’re choosing to put in the work. And that choice each day, over time, is what actually transforms us.
*For those of you who prayer walk, ponder the phrase, ‘Count the Cost’, and listen to what the Holy Spirit reveals.
And for this week’s screensaver click here. Or to access my newest devotional, Walk Fit:Walk Fasting, on the YouVersion Bible App click here.