Following Christ is never easy and just in case one happened to live with that illusion that it is easy, then such person have not come to terms with the fact that as Christians we are constantly battling between what we want and what God’s plan has designed for us.
When we come to serve the Lord, it is important that we prepare ourselves for trials because it is in the fire that gold is tested, and worthy men are also tested in the crucible of humiliation.
In the Scriptures when Jesus says, “Follow me,” and says it in the context of going to Jerusalem and having just been rejected in Samaria for going to Jerusalem, He is clearly saying two things, not just one thing. He is saying: “Follow ME” and He is saying “FOLLOW me.”
Jesus does not promise a bed of roses or even a bed of tulips and He has already warned us against the danger of indecisive discipleship when He said:
“No one, after putting his hand to the plough and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
You can’t plough a straight ridge while looking back. You can’t serve Christ, that is, you can’t make Christ look great, if you are always second-guessing the value of following Him. Looking back means longing for the things at the back. It means that you are not really sure He is worth following. Divided hearts like that are not useful in displaying the worth of Christ. It is true, all of us pass through stages where we wonder if we have made the right decision. In times of loneliness, we long for familiar faces and places. In times of physical, mental and spiritual suffering,we long for the pain to pass or at least for it to be numbed. In times where death seems to conquer, we long for life.
Following Christ means more than one thing. If it means for you the place of suffering and loneliness, He will be there. We need to cling to Him and the promises which He offers. This is not an easy task because this world of ours is heading in the opposite direction when it comes to many values espoused in God’s Word.
Our LORD has called us to a life of self-denial rather than self-indulgence. Again we swim against the tide. If you say you are following Jesus, and your life hasn’t changed, I want to challenge you to ask yourself why. If you call yourself a follower of Christ yet your life doesn’t reflect Him, it begs the question of whether you’ve truly turned your back on your own sin and thrown yourself entirely on the mercy of God. Maybe you’re thinking that there are things in your life you’ve done that God can’t forgive. Maybe there are places of darkness you’ve wandered into where you think His light can’t reach.
Beloved, I want you to understand that the cost of follow Christ is not just about following rules or merely managing your sin, it is about saying to God that, “Here I am, you can have all of me.”
That’s the cost of following Christ and that’s what it takes!
Grace to you!
Your Brother,
Peter Jerry
