IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL (def): Dedicated to doing something for a long period of time. This phrase usually describes one’s commitment to someone or something.

As Jesus speaks to an audience of people who are contemplating whether or not to become His disciples, He exhorts them to think ahead and make sure they are in it for the long haul. In other words, they should make sure they are prepared to see it through to the end.

The primary example that Jesus uses is someone who is planning to build a building. He points out that the obvious thing to do first is to make sure you have enough money to purchase all of the materials that will be required to finish the job. 

“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” (Luke 14:28)

How embarrassing would it be to have a building half built and then not be able to finish it? Not only wouldn’t you be able to use it, but everyone who passes by would see this eyesore and make fun of the person who started building this structure and couldn’t finish it. (One of the mission fields I have visited has lots of half-built houses, and everybody in the neighborhood knows who they belong to!)

When you were baptized, you were asked at the water’s edge whether your intention was to be in it for the long haul. The question asked was, “Do you promise to serve God for the remainder of your life?” Since you answered “Yes,” it’s safe to say that when you began your walk with Christ, you were determined to be in it for the long haul. Now, what do you have to do to follow through on your stated intention and see this through (endure) to the end? Jesus answers this question as follows:

“So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:33)

When Jesus says we need to forsake all in order to be His disciple, what types of things is He referring to? What do we need to give up? Here are some things (there may be more):

• Sin in all forms (actions, words, thoughts, attitudes, etc.)
• Relationships with people who try to pull us away from serving the Lord
• Activities that prevent us from doing what we should be doing as a servant of the Lord (such as church attendance, prayer, scripture study, etc.)
• A portion (such as a tenth) of our income (such that we then trust God to provide for us with the remainder)
• The right to make “our own” decisions (rather than following God’s direction in all things)

Hopefully, you can see how hanging on to any of the above puts us at risk for wandering off course in our service to God:

• Sin comes between us and God and typically causes us to make choices that pull us away from Him.
• If we spend a lot of time with people who are trying to pull us away from serving the Lord, eventually they will be successful in doing so. 
• If we load up our schedule with personal activities (including work) that leave no time for spiritual activities, our focus will be on those personal activities, and we will not grow spiritually (and will eventually lose interest in doing so). 
• If we don’t trust God to provide the necessities of life for us, we will be more focused on money than we should be (and our relationship with Him will suffer).
• If we reserve the right to override the Lord in certain parts of our lives (or even leave Him out altogether), we will surely make some decisions that will cause us to move away from Him.

Of course, none of us is perfect so there may be times that we fall short of eliminating all that we should from our lives. But we need to do the absolute best that we can to forsake these things. While it may not be automatic that they will pull us away from the Lord, the risk is certainly increased. 

So, what is the cost of following Christ? It comes down to giving everything over to Him — our time, our focus, our decisions, our money. Is it too much to ask for? Well, consider the price that He paid for us and the reward that awaits us if we endure to the end — a reward so great that it far outweighs any sacrifice we may make in this life. Do you want that reward? Are you in it for the long haul? If so, deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him.

This article has undergone ministry review and approval.

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