APPLIED WISDOM

PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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In our walk with God and in our daily lives, we must seek to act in ways that reflect the wisdom of the Lord. In our passage for today, we hear Jesus Christ teaching his disciples to see and plan for the costs associated with being publicly known as followers of Jesus. 

If we do not seek God’s wisdom in our work and in our relationships, we will not only look foolish but also bring dishonor to the name and reputation of the Lord. 

As you prayerfully read the teaching that follows, listen to the Lord’s call to be wise:

28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’

31 “Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace. 

33 In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.

(Luke 14:28-33 NIV11)

Tower

Let us turn to the message found in verses 28-30. The parable given here concerns the need to be certain that we have counted the costs of discipleship before we dare call ourselves by the name of the Lord. But inside that larger point, there is very practical lesson for the follower of Christ that is worth exploring. 

The one who seeks to build a tower, which is a very public enterprise, seen by the entire village, must do the hard work of planning out his work. The builder must be certain of the costs for the materials, planning, and labor before they break ground. 

Jesus makes the point that the builder is unwise to just begin the project, hoping to have it all work out by the time he gets to the upper floors. The builder must practice wisdom or else he will look the fool to all those in the village who watched him get started without knowing how to finish. 

King

In verses 31-32 we hear another parable that calls the disciple of Jesus to count the costs of discipleship before proclaiming Jesus as Lord of their lives. In this situation, the subject of the parable is a king who seeks to fight a war. 

Like the tower builder, the king needs to exhibit wisdom as he evaluates his true state of preparedness and adjusts his plans accordingly. 

The king is not rewarded for taking a big swing, stepping out in faith, or just going for it. Instead, the wise king sees his true condition without self-deception, and seeks to do what is best for his people as a result of his wise planning. 

Application

There are two points of application that I see as valuable today. 

Personal Evaluation

Firstly, before we claim to be disciples of Jesus Christ, we must evaluate the truth of our submission to his authority and rule in our lives. There were many who followed Jesus as fans but these spectators were most certainly not disciples of Jesus. 

In this point of application, these parables serve to call us to self-examination. We are to take a hard look at our spiritual reality. Are we willing to submit our lives, our families, our businesses, and our treasure on this earth into the hands of Jesus Christ? Or are we waving the banner of Jesus’ rule in our lives falsely?

Applied Wisdom

The second point of application from this passage speaks to the need for more wisdom from the people of God. We need to take these parables on board in the way that we live our lives. There are too many people making silly decisions that have not been weighed by the Word of God and like the failed tower or the collapsing army, only bring disrepute to those involved. 

As I seek to become a Christlike leader in my home as well as my vocation, I need to learn from these two parables. 

•  Can I afford the lifestyle that I want to provide for my family or will I end up cheating God by using my tithe to cover the bills?
•  Are my commitments out of the home bringing God glory or are they robbing me of my ability to care for those of my first calling?
•  Are we making wise choices about our future plans, basing them upon a sober and realistic evaluation of our strengths and weaknesses?

We need to keep these two parables front and center as we seek to become more like Jesus Christ in our day-to-day lives. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Works at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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