Scripture: Luke 14:28-30
[Jesus said,] “If one of you wanted to build a tower, wouldn’t you first sit down and calculate the cost, to determine whether you have enough money to complete it? Otherwise, when you have laid the foundation but couldn’t finish the tower, all who see it will begin to belittle you. They will say, ‘Here’s the person who began construction and couldn’t complete it!’”
Thought for the Day: Let me offer another thought from Reinhold Niebuhr: “All human sin seems so much worse in its consequences than in its intentions.” Though the parable of Jesus recorded in Luke’s Gospel seems to suggest something positive being constructed, I believe it could be viewed in the reverse as well. Calculating the costs in advance, including the negative and hurtful costs, is necessary whether we are speaking of individuals, communities or nations. Recently, I have witnessed a lot of people justify some pretty hurtful things by glorifying their intentions. My cynical side makes we wonder if their real intentions were good in first place.
Prayer: Grant me the wisdom and the insight to think clearly, O Lord of Life. Guide me as I ask the needed questions so that my choices count the real costs to my sisters and brothers. Amen.
THIS SUNDAY – Guide
