“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? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’”
Luke 14:28-30 (NIV)
Estimate the Cost
The average cost to build a house in Canada ranges from $120 to $195 per square foot for a detached home. For many Canadians, the dream of building a home is more appealing than just buying one. Building a home comes with many benefits, and if we’re being perfectly honest, some headaches. There are Home Construction and Self-Build Mortgages available when building a house. You need a separate loan to buy the vacant land, which usually comes with higher interest rates than a traditional mortgage.
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For many years there was a building at the top of the Bayview extension in Toronto that sat empty for years. The original builder went bankrupt half way through construction and there it sat, a constant reminder to all of the need to plan well in order to be successful. This is a Biblical principle that Jesus taught His followers. In Luke 14:28-30 Jesus said “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? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’” The context of Jesus’ teaching here was not house construction, but being His disciple. There is a cost to following Jesus. For some, it will mean giving up family or friends, facing opposition and persecution, even to the point of laying down your life in some cases. Following Jesus comes with many blessings but it isn’t always easy. If you follow Jesus, there can be no turning back.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley