Don’t Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

Luke 14:28

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Many people have the notion that the Church demands something called “blind faith.”  They think that Catholics would nod approvingly at the incredibly foolish advice given by Qui-gon Jinn to Anakin Skywalker in The Phantom Menace: “Don’t think.  Feel.”  For such people, the concept of faith seems to be, “Close your eyes and lunge.”  In contrast, the biblical record shows Jesus giving very careful counsel to his disciples concerning the need for deliberation and care in deciding whether or not to follow him.  He urges, of course, that following him is the only hope of salvation.  But he also cautions them that his grace, though free, will not be cheap.  It requires everything we have.  So we ought not to leap in with facile promises about our willingness to die for him without seriously considering the possibility that we may really have to.  Peter found this out on Holy Thursday when he made big promises to Jesus that Jesus himself knew Peter could not keep.  A few hours later, Peter was weeping bitter tears over his failure to count the cost and his weak-willed denials of Christ.  But Jesus did not give up on Peter and he does not give up on us when we bite off more than we can chew.  But he does counsel us to avoid future failures and humiliations by making certain we seek his grace and strength, rather than march out in our underwear to do battle with the prince of darkness.  So don’t be ashamed to count the cost.  Jesus says to do it.  And if you find you do not have what it takes to purchase your own soul, ask Jesus to help you.  He will.

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Mark P. Shea is a popular Catholic writer and speaker. The author of numerous books, his most recent work is The Work of Mercy (Servant) and The Heart of Catholic Prayer (Our Sunday Visitor). Mark contributes numerous articles to many magazines, including his popular column “Connecting the Dots” for the National Catholic Register. Mark is known nationally for his one minute “Words of Encouragement” on Catholic radio. He also maintains the Catholic and Enjoying It blog and regularly blogs for National Catholic Register. He lives in Washington state with his wife, Janet, and their four sons.

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