Building Up – Towers

by | Feb 11, 2026 | Ministry Toolbox - Spiritual Things

Article by Joey Keith

I want to get personal with you…Sometimes I want Jesus without disruption. I want comfort without surrender. I want blessings without rearranging my life.

But in Luke 14:28–30, Jesus lovingly brings me back to reality.

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? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.

He reminds me that following Him is not accidental. It’s intentional. When I sit with this passage, I realize He isn’t asking me to be perfect, He’s asking me to be honest. Honest about what discipleship costs. Honest about what I’m holding onto. Honest about whether I truly want Him more than everything else.

I think about the towers in my own life, the plans I’ve started, the spiritual goals I’ve spoken out loud, the promises I’ve made in prayer. Have I been building with consistency, or just inspiration?

Jesus shows me that faith isn’t built in dramatic moments. It’s built in quiet ones:

  • Choosing prayer when no one sees
  • Choosing obedience when it’s inconvenient
  • Choosing trust when the outcome is unclear

 

Counting the cost has taught me something surprising: surrender isn’t loss. It’s alignment.

Every time I release control, I make room for peace. Every time I loosen my grip, I feel lighter. Every time I choose Him again, I discover He was worth it all along.

There are still things I struggle to lay down: expectations, comfort, fear of the unknown. But Jesus doesn’t rush me. He walks with me. He invites me daily to recommit, to recalibrate, and to rebuild.  Following Him is not about having everything figured out.

It’s about deciding, again and again: “Lord, You are worth whatever this costs me.”

Let me encourage you with this:  You wouldn’t still be walking with Him if God wasn’t already at work in you.  Jesus is worth the cost, and He walks beside you every step of the way.

 

Today Matters

Joey Keith