Following God isn’t always easy.
I feel like sometimes we have this unhealthy ability to paint this picture that being a Christian is easy and that it’s just the most joyful, incredible feeling in the world. That even when things are hard, it’s all great and we always feel like it’s worth it.
Now don’t get me wrong – it is worth it.
The joy of being a Christian and following after God with our whole heart is unmatched. You won’t find it anywhere else. You’ll find temporary joys, sure. But you will not find an unmatched joy like being a Christ follower.
But all of that to say, it doesn’t come easy.
When things are hard, they’re hard.
When you are struggling with your faith because of your circumstances, it’s difficult. Becoming a Christian doesn’t mean your struggles don’t hurt as much or your life becomes somehow perfect, it just means that you now have a God whose heart you can trust above anything else. No matter the struggles you face, the difficulties you’re walking through. It’s not that our suffering goes away or that life is easy, it’s who walks with us during those.
There have been times in my life where I’ve been busted open and completely broken, left without a lot of hope on this side of eternity. During those dark moments, I can tell you that without God, I can’t even imagine how much worse off I’d be through it all. It wasn’t better, it wasn’t easy with God, but it sure gave me more perspective and hope through it all.
Otherwise I’d be asking the question, “But what’s the point?” “What’s there to live for after this?” I will never understand how people must feel when they’re going through hell and they don’t have Christ through it – what an awful feeling and reality.
It’s this empathy for those who struggle through their circumstances without the hope of God through them that pushes me on to keep writing, to keep putting words down when I feel like God’s speaking to me about something.
I used to think that God gave me the words, and I do believe He does sometimes, but nowadays I think more in terms that God speaks to me and I write down some kind of mediocre, half thrown together human version of the best that I can and God USES those words to change hearts. It’s the imperfect words, the imperfect vessel that I am that He uses – in all of my weaknesses and lack of perfection.
I never want to give the illusion that my life is easy. That following God has somehow given me the ability to avoid any and all kinds of heartache and sadness. That I’ve worked through all of my anxiety and fears.
My life is still hard. I’m still broken. I’m still an impatient, frustrating, mistake-making terrible person sometimes, no matter what I present on the outside or what you think you see. I still struggle to not get frustrated in long lines, to listen to others who I disagree with, to not say bad words, to recognize the moments where God has asked me to do something, to obey when I don’t want to.
Life is hard, but it’s full when I rest in God. That much I can promise you – a full life. Maybe it doesn’t look like what you want it to or you don’t have all of the things you thought you wanted by now, but I can guarantee that living a life of Godliness leads to a full and meaningful life. Living outside of that feels so empty, that much I can attest to since I’ve lived it.
My verse these days that I turn to is 1 Peter 5:7, and I think you’ll find it an encouraging verse too. Read it over and over again when you start to worry about things that you have no control over, when you start to doubt the heart of God. Often, it won’t deliver you from the circumstances you find yourself in, but it’ll shift your perspective and remind you of God’s goodness.
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.”
Because He cares for you. Rest in that truth today no matter where you find yourself. It might not feel that way, but you can trust God’s heart and that He loves and cares about you. He knows where you are, and He’s too good of a God to give you what isn’t for you even when it might hurt your feelings in the moment. Even when it might tempt you to lose faith or rethink the whole “God thing.”
His thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways. He is still good, and He still cares.
