Skip to main content

Easy Street?







Come to Christ, they said; your life will be perfect, they said.  If your life is all messed up, follow Christ and your life will be perfect.  How many times have you ever heard this?  All of this sounds great, but unfortunately it doesn’t always work out like this.  Our life does not become instantly happy because and lovely just because we put our trust and faith in Christ.  In fact, often our life gets harder.  Instead of life on easy street we feel like we go straight from the frying pan to the fire.  Instead of everything getting easier, we find ourselves facing opposition, being ridiculed and persecuted.  Saul was on his way up the religious ladder.  He was persecuting followers of Jesus, for him, everything was looking up.  He met God and he was changed.  In an instant, he went from the persecutor to being persecuted.  For him, everything got suddenly harder.   In fact listen to Saul/Paul tell us about his life “I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.”  Friends, this does not sound like a good time.  Yet Paul says it’s all worth it if others follow Christ. Likewise we should not be surprised when we encounter problems as a Christian.  I am sure that some of the problems is a spiritual battle.  In short, They are Satanic attacks.  Satan wants to discourage us and tries to convince us to give up our Christian walk. Jesus never promised an easy life as a Christian.  What he does say is that it would be worth it, that he would be there with us when the storms rage and the waters rise.  What a comfort to know that God promised to go with us no matter what happens. 
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What’s That Smell?

To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. 2Corinthians 2:16 Last break!  The shift was almost over. Then the unthinkable happened, this man appeared out of nowhere wanting to know where the flashlights were kept.  As we were on our way to the flashlights, I noticed that this man had a very strong odor.  I thought perhaps I could get in front of him so that the smell would not be as strong.   That, however, was not to be either since; he insisted on keeping pace and walking right beside me. By the time we got to where the flashlights were; I was practically running just to keep ahead of him.  I showed him the flashlights and made a hasty exit.  If you’re like me, you shower and even put on perfume or cologne so that you will not stink.  We are concerned that the smell coming from our body is not offensive to others.  As I write this, I wonder if we are as concerned with our spiritual aroma as ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Grow Old Gracefully

I’d like to tell you about a lady I visited yesterday.   She is ninety-five years young.  She recently moved into nursing home.  She asked one of the workers how many times she would have to walk around the outside of the building in order to walk a mile.  She said the person told her about ten.   Then she leaned in really close and whispered, “I walked around twelve just to be sure I walked a mile.”  Hahahaha! What a lady!  She loves to keep active, even in a nursing home.  As we talked, I saw no anger or bitterness in her speech or actions. There was only a love for God, a heart of compassion, and a sense of humor. She has befriended the one "prickly pear" at the home because as she said, “I have to love her, so she knows Jesus loves her too.”  Wow!!! I need to live like that!  I want to show that much compassion for those around me that need Jesus.  She loved to talk about God and what he was teaching her. ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thank You God For Turning Our Ashes into Beauty

There are tragedy and sadness in everyone's life, No one is exempt. Yet, in the midst of the hurt and pain, God is there. He takes the things that hurt us and make us sad and turns them into things are beautiful. The death of my mother  was a tragedy to my dad. However, because of that tragedy, my dad began to see his need for God. In his brokenness, he found a God that could make him whole.  God turned his ashes into beauty. My dad, in turn, taught me to love God.   I am blessed to know God as my savior because of my dad. God also blessed me with a lovely step-mom Life is harsh at times, and many things are sad,  Yet, if we let him, he will take our ashes and make them into a work of art.   He delights in making the ash heaps of our life beautiful.   When we are broken, God is near, and where there is sorrow, he will turn it into dancing.   Thank you, God, F...
Post a Comment
Read more