I believe that so often when we think of following Jesus, we think of how easy life will be. That everything I have planned will go exactly how I want it. Life will be the most wonderful experience and God will just bless me and all my dreams. Right because it says "For I know the plans I have for you' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future'". His plan is obviously my plan! Right?! Well, have you ever read the verse that follows that one? "Then you will call upon ME and come and pray to ME. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with ALL your heart (just some of my heart? just a little bit of my heart? NO ALL). I will be found by you (he wants to be found by you- He wants you to search for Him and only Him) and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." That sounds a lot more like His plan than my plan. What else does He say about what life looks like following Jesus?
"I consider the present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us". Romans 8:18
Present sufferings-- there will be suffering because of following Jesus, there will be suffering because we are living in a dark world, there will be suffering because we are not in Heaven with our Father.
"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me." Matthew 5:11
Jesus tells us that people will insult you. People will persecute you. Life will be hard, but guess what He has overcome the World!
As I was thinking about leaving home, saying good bye to my family, saying bye to friends- I asked God, "Am I doing the right thing? Lord, I am sad, I don't want to leave. I want to be with my family, I want to be planning my best friend's wedding with her, I am tired of saying good bye. I can get a teaching job here." God responded immediately back to me, "I never said life would be easy, I said life is hard, filled with hardships, trials, and persecution. John the Baptist was beheaded for proclaiming My truth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled." I consider everything loss for the sake of Christ. He has given me so much comfort in knowing Haiti is exactly where He wants me even though I do get sad and life is hard there. He called me out upon the waters. I long to look on the face of the one that I love and long to stay in His presence. Haiti right now is His presence for me. He told us life would be hard, and following Jesus is even harder. Yet, it is not hard because my heart is no longer fixed on things of this Earth but on Heaven- on things above.
"Praise be to God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us a new life into a living hope through the ressurection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an heritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade- kept in heaven for you". 1 Peter 1:3-4
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