Westwinds Podcasts

CURRENT SERIES: DOWN TO EARTH (on the incarnation of Jesus Christ)

Nobody said it would be easy.

Following the way of Jesus is hard—it requires sacrifice, endurance, constant commitment to staying fueled by the Spirit, and a constant decision to rely on our own strength.

The way of Jesus involves taking up our cross every day and following him into pain, into hardship, sometimes even into conflict or loss of life. We forget that sometimes. Our thoughts tend towards the benefits of serving Jesus. But we forget that there was a crucifixion before there ever was a resurrection.

And yet, so many of us flounder to give up at the slightest bit of resistance. Never mind taking up your cross. Most of the time we can barely manage taking time to pray.

Over the years, I think I’ve heard every possible excuse ever invented for why Christian spirituality is too much work. All of these things seem reasonable at the outset, but given what we know to be true, both about the sacrifice Jesus made and the cost he forewarned us we would pay for following him, they quickly start feeling pretty flimsy.

Sure. All that stuff is hard. But even if we did all that hard stuff, it still wouldn’t really qualify as “taking up our cross”, would it? I mean, Jesus wasn’t referring to the cross as a metaphor—he actually picked up a cross and then got pinned to it, like he was part of Caesar’s butterfly collection.

I don’t want to belittle anyone’s personal pain. I do however, want to point out that our idea of what “suffering for Jesus’ is sucks.

When it’s too hard to read the scriptures, too tough to pray, and too much to ask to give money or serve or get into accountability with another believer, then you’re not wiling to suffer; not even a bit.

It’s time for each of us to put on or spiritual big boy pants. It’s time for us to stop making excuses, to make a firm commitment in our hearts and begin living the life God has intended for us. And yes, that life will be hard sometimes, but it will also be worth it.