Are You Sure You Want to Follow Jesus? Count the Cost of Discipleship

What my son’s Army recruiter understood about commitment—and why we need to ask the same question

“ARE. YOU. SURE?”

When my son signed up for the Army, the recruiter, no less than 2x a week, would ask him, “ARE YOU SURE??”

Canon, are you SURE you want to do this?

Are you 100% positive your mom is Ok with this?

Is THIS THE choice you want to make for the next four years of your life?

ARE. YOU. SURE?

Each time he would say, “Of course!”

She asked this every week until the day she dropped him off at the hotel; then the guy sending them out from MEPS asked about 3 times, “ARE YOU SURE?? You can walk away right now, no shame. ARE YOU SURE?"

He’d Heard the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Canon and I had a few talks here and there about whether this was the right choice for him. But growing up with whom he did, and working with guys at Black Rifle, he had already heard the war stories, all the bad of the military, the sweeping the sun off the sidewalks, the turning the snow over because big sarge’s wife doesn’t like to see dirty snow, freezing in sub-zero tents in Korea, wet feet on long ruck marches, air so dry and hot that your bread goes toast mode when you take it out of the package, lonely nights, missing family, the whole nine. He’d heard it all.

And in the end, his choice was clear. He’d heard the good, the bad, and so much of the ugly, yet still made a choice to be a soldier.

What Are We Asking People to Say Yes To?

When we talk to people about the Lord, we’d be wise to have the same approach.

You see, modern-day mega-churches, get ‘em in, get ‘em saved ministries and mindsets have done a massive disservice to the world as a whole.

We start with, “Say yes or burn forever!”

Woe, tiger, that’s assuming folks actually believe in an eternal anything. In every conversation, it’s best to define your terms.

Imagine if someone hears all the goodies that come with following THE King- what He offers to believers- not only eternal life, but life abundantly here, right NOW, purpose realized, financial provision, healing (physical and otherwise), rest and peace, and they want to say YES to the Lord, but we STOP them and ask, ARE YOU SURE?”

Are you 100% sure you want to follow, LISTEN, and OBEY the King of kings?

ARE you SURE?

Jesus Said to Count the Cost of Discipleship

Because Jesus told us to count the cost. We bandy that verse around to ourselves and others when it comes to embarking on an adventure He has CLEARLY TOLD US to go and do.

We add up the cost of living, decide if we’ll like the weather, if we can find work there, and based on what we see, we will make OUR choice to follow Him to where He has already said, “Off you go!”

Jesus was saying, “Count the cost of discipleship”.

Like, there will be times when it’s hella hard, you will likely get scared, be in over your head, ARE YOU SURE you want that?

Give People a Minute, Will You?

There’s this super weird urgency that comes with sharing the good news with folks. And the way people share it, it’s not really good news. The “do you know where you’ll spend eternity if you die tonight” is terrifying for a number of reasons.

Besides all that, the question doesn’t lend the opportunity for someone to consider the cost of discipleship.

I mean, shoot. If they hopped in their car after their meeting with you and didn’t say yes, yikes. Lost forever!

Guys, seriously, think about it. Think for one stinkin' second what you're really asking people when you share the gospel with them.

Jesus said, count the cost.

Give people a minute, will you? Ask them, ARE YOU SURE?

I Didn’t Say Yes to the Lord Right Away

I didn’t say yes to the Lord right away. I took my sweet time.

I KNEW what it would cost because I KNEW what my life looked like at the time. I didn’t want to give up that L.A. lifestyle. Geez, who would?

Especially because most Christians I knew at the time were angry, judgmental hypocrites. Hard pass.

But He kept after it, kept chatting me up on the way to work, kept talking over my music. Do not tell me God’s voice is a quiet whisper. Is your voice a quiet, soft whisper when you’re trying ot get your kid’s attention?

The Lord gave me time to consider the cost, knowing that when I finally said yes, no one but nobody could ever convince me to do anything but follow Him. And that meant I would FOLLOW Him.

He would say, “If you don’t say yes, this and such will happen.” To which I would say, “But I’m not ready.”

Next day, “But if you don’t, this WILL happen”.

Me: “But I like my life right now”. Him: “No, you don’t”.

Fair enough…

Back and forth for months.

Time given to ask myself, “Are you SURE?”

Saying Yes to Jesus as King

Seeing Jesus as King requires you to remember that when you say yes, you’re not just making a flippant commitment to a good teacher and then having the freedom to decide your own path, your own way of doing things.

Your yes is one that costs... a lot.

It’s one that He even asks you beforehand to count the cost.

Before You Invite Someone to Follow Him

Anymore, when I meet someone who doesn’t know Jesus, and they clearly don’t want to know Him, honestly, I do not try to convince them.

That’s so irresponsible. Missionaries, listen to me. That is IRRESPONSIBLE.

I tell them what He’s done in my life, what it’s cost, but that there’s zero regret, not even once.

If they want in, I’ll show them. But not before saying, “Are you SURE?”

Because if they jump in, life gets fully real.