Mark 6:25At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: "I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter."
26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went; beheaded John in the prison, 28and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
26The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. The man went; beheaded John in the prison, 28and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29On hearing of this, John's disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
The one time I rented a car and went off on my own in Haiti was the one time I found myself in trouble. I had just finished a dirty, dusty day in the mountains at Desabbles about an hours drive out of Port-au-Prince and I usually got around by Tap-Tap. Tap-Tap is the public transportation system; usually you ride in the back of a small truck with twelve other people. I was approached by the military/police, the sun had just gone down and he was armed with a shotgun. For some reason a great calm had come over me and I answered his questions with a smile. He wanted the car, my license and any money. I did not speak Kreole (Haitian French) and his English was poor. My thoughts were “Lord you said there was a cost for serving you and I pray I don’t have to pay today.”
It costs something to serve God. It costs, money, time, talent, and sometimes your life. If not literally then figuratively. When we are ordained to the task of helping the least and the lost even those of us who have very little are asked for everything to serve. John’s work concluded with this head on a platter and you never know what it is going to cost you.
There will be times when you will be alone in an adversarial situation and the thought may come to you “God this is not worth it.” It will seem as though you are paying a heavy cost to do what you do. You may end up in prison or feel trapped. I want to encourage you to keep on contending for the faith that has been passed down through the generations. My ancestors were enslaved people but according to my family tree many of them had faith in God. It cost them for me to be who I am today. If you believe you are sacrificing all for your calling your probably are. Just know this it may cost you your life.