Do You Have What It Takes?

You've heard it.

The passage is from Luke 14.  Jesus tells us that we take stock of our situation before building a tower so that we know what's necessary and don't find ourselves quitting halfway through.  Jesus tells us that you assess your chances of winning in battle, before going to battle, so you don't get creamed.

So, do YOU have what it takes?

Can YOU be a follower of Jesus?

Wait?
Does that sound like Jesus???

What's that second illustration again?  The king doesn't have enough soldiers, so he begs for terms of peace rather than going to war. 

What if you take stock of yourself and find yourself to be a loser?  What if you realize that you have nothing in you to fight the battle?  What if self-examination reveals that you cannot complete the building you started?

Maybe the whole point of what Jesus says here is that you can't do it, that you do cry "uncle" and give up.  Maybe "forsaking all that he has" is more about being stripped of self-reliance than it is about turning one's back on material possessions.