The life of a Christian is not, I repeat, is NOT an easy one. Choosing Christ is not an easy choice. Living of the world is easy because that is how our nature is inclined.
In my devotional time today I was reminded of this fact. That we as Christians are to be partakers of Christ's suffering. Jesus' life was not an easy one. His choice to die was not an easy one. So why do we assume that our lives, if we truly want to live a life according to the will of our Heavenly Father, will be easy? We suffer not because God hates us but so that thru our test we will be able to lead someone else thru theirs. How could Jesus comfort the sick if He had never been Himself? How could He sympathize with poor if He had never been poor Himself? How could He understand sorrow if He had never wept a single tear?
All God asks of us as we walk this narrow road is to be faithful because He promises to be faithful to us, to the end. I have watched members of my church suffer cancer, illness, death, financial hardship and yet and still they have been faithful to God. Thru it all they have remained faithful to God. It is easy to bail when things aren't going the way we thought they would or hoped they would. That's what the world says to do. If my church family and my dad had that mentality we would no longer exist as a church. But its not about success the way this world measures it. Its about how God measures success. If we stay faithful to the One who set us on the course in the first place we may never see the fruits of our labor while we are alive but the Kingdom WILL be furthered by your faithfulness and trust in the authority and wisdom of the Alminghty.
Even as I type this the Lord is ministering to my heart. He's asking are you ready for me to take you places you never thought you'd go? Are you ready to cast aside all the plans you have created to take my plan for you and own it and see it thru to fulfillment? Are you ready for the tests, the struggles, the pain, the sorrow that I promise will make you better, stronger, more Christlike?
Let's be clear here, DON'T go looking for suffering. And don't think that good things don't happen to the people of God. God takes care of His people, make no mistake. But when suffering seems to come knocking at your door what are you gonna do with it? Are you gonna let it defeat you or are you gonna run to the arms of your Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to undergird you with the strength to make it thru.
Remember that God will ALWAYS be faithful to you. He is the Faithful One. He promises to never leave nor forsake. He has a plan for you, to prosper you and to give you a future and a hope. Do you trust Him to work out whatever it is? It isn't easy but Jesus was faithful and now He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. That's pretty incredible just for sticking it out thru tough times. Our reward will be far more amazing then anything this world can offer if we put our faith and trust in the Most High God.
Its not easy but its WORTH IT.
In my devotional time today I was reminded of this fact. That we as Christians are to be partakers of Christ's suffering. Jesus' life was not an easy one. His choice to die was not an easy one. So why do we assume that our lives, if we truly want to live a life according to the will of our Heavenly Father, will be easy? We suffer not because God hates us but so that thru our test we will be able to lead someone else thru theirs. How could Jesus comfort the sick if He had never been Himself? How could He sympathize with poor if He had never been poor Himself? How could He understand sorrow if He had never wept a single tear?
All God asks of us as we walk this narrow road is to be faithful because He promises to be faithful to us, to the end. I have watched members of my church suffer cancer, illness, death, financial hardship and yet and still they have been faithful to God. Thru it all they have remained faithful to God. It is easy to bail when things aren't going the way we thought they would or hoped they would. That's what the world says to do. If my church family and my dad had that mentality we would no longer exist as a church. But its not about success the way this world measures it. Its about how God measures success. If we stay faithful to the One who set us on the course in the first place we may never see the fruits of our labor while we are alive but the Kingdom WILL be furthered by your faithfulness and trust in the authority and wisdom of the Alminghty.
Even as I type this the Lord is ministering to my heart. He's asking are you ready for me to take you places you never thought you'd go? Are you ready to cast aside all the plans you have created to take my plan for you and own it and see it thru to fulfillment? Are you ready for the tests, the struggles, the pain, the sorrow that I promise will make you better, stronger, more Christlike?
Let's be clear here, DON'T go looking for suffering. And don't think that good things don't happen to the people of God. God takes care of His people, make no mistake. But when suffering seems to come knocking at your door what are you gonna do with it? Are you gonna let it defeat you or are you gonna run to the arms of your Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ and ask Him to undergird you with the strength to make it thru.
Remember that God will ALWAYS be faithful to you. He is the Faithful One. He promises to never leave nor forsake. He has a plan for you, to prosper you and to give you a future and a hope. Do you trust Him to work out whatever it is? It isn't easy but Jesus was faithful and now He sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven. That's pretty incredible just for sticking it out thru tough times. Our reward will be far more amazing then anything this world can offer if we put our faith and trust in the Most High God.
Its not easy but its WORTH IT.
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