Counting the Cost

-Patrice Tsague, RCE Partner



"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." Luke 14:28

Have you ever gone to the grocery store, filled your cart with groceries, got to the counter and after the cashier checked in all of your goods, you realized that you took more products than you had money for? Or while driving somewhere along the road you ran out of gas on the highway? Maybe you started a project but midway got distracted by something else or ran out of money and had to leave the project incomplete? The usual feeling when any of these things happen is embarrassment. And then we reflect on what we could have done to prevent them from happening. The cause of each of these problems is simple; they are caused by a lack of planning or not properly counting the cost.


Counting the cost is taking the time to properly estimate the required sacrifice and resources needed to accomplish the task before embarking upon it. Simply put, counting the cost is planning your work or project before starting it. In Luke 14:26-33 great multitudes began to follow our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ but He recognized that most of those among the multitudes were following Him purely for the benefits that He may provide, without considering the sacrifice required to be His disciples, so He stopped to challenge them to count the cost.



The cost for being a disciple of Jesus includes forsaking your father, mother, children, brothers, sisters, your life, and bearing your own cross. This means that if you desire to be a true follower of Christ, you must value Him more than your family and yourself. You must be willing to reject your family if following it means compromising His teachings. You must put aside your personal ambitions and desires if they do not line up with His will for your life.



Jesus did not want a crowd, He wanted disciples. He was smart enough to realize that in times of trouble the crowd would scatter but the disciples would suffer through. In times of challenges the crowd would turn against Him but the disciples would stick with Him. In times of persecution the crowd would try to save their lives but the disciples would be willing to lose theirs.



As a Biblical Entrepreneur, you must not only count the cost of following Jesus in the marketplace but you must also count the cost of starting and growing the businesses He has entrusted to you. The cost of becoming a Biblical Entrepreneur not only involves giving up the opportunity to receive regular paychecks and health benefits from a 9 to 5 job, but also the financial expenses of starting or expanding the business. The human sacrifices include pleasurable things the Biblical Entrepreneur has to sacrifice in the early phases of the business (e.g. vacation and leisure time).

How do you count the cost?

1. Sit down, slow the business down if you have started already, and develop a plan

2. Evaluate how much human and financial resources you will need to start or expand the business. The various costs to consider are:


a. Opportunity cost - the value of what you must give up to start a new business or expand the business

b. Start up cost - the expenses required to launch a new business or project

c. Cost of goods or services sold - the expenses incurred for each unit of product or service you sell to the customer

d. Operation cost - the expenses you must incur on a monthly basis to cover the overhead of the business i.e. utilities, salaries, insurance, adverting, transportation, supplies, etc. These expenses are required whether you sell one unit or not.


3. Evaluate your commitment to representing Christ in the marketplace; will you stand for Him even if it means losing the business or your life?



Counting the cost has great benefits. By counting your costs, you ensure that you are able to finish - which in turn takes your business to a state of stability and sustainability. It also prevents you from embarrassing yourself and your God. While counting the cost, if you realize that you do not have enough resources to be successful, you still have the time to change your course or not proceed with the business.



Jesus never took up a fight He could not win or start an assignment He could not finish, and He expects the same from His disciples. Go ahead, pay the price now and count the cost; you will not regret it and you will protect yourself from embarrassment.