It's not this "get all the good things God can give, and live a good life rich and pain free."
In fact, living as a Christian, I would argue (because I've lived it myself) is harder than living a life without a relationship with Jesus.
Why?
A few reasons...
When you do not have a living relationship with God, you can do whatever you like. There are no laws really. Anything goes. Of course you might be subjected to the laws of the land, but hey-that doesn't stop people from breaking them. Why not? You still can. You just have to pay the consequences, which might be some hard jail time.
But how about just living a quiet life where you love yourself and a handful of others that mean a lot to you? You can still be a "good and kind person" and not be a Christian. In fact, I've met a lot of people who are not Christians, that I like more than a handful of Christians, because they are genuinely kind people.
And speaking of the handful of Christians I don't like, those are the ones like that unmentionable Baptist church that talks about God hating these people or those people, or waving their legalistic views of how they believe they are "saved" in your face. You know, the ones that think because they don't ever have a drink and you do, you are going to hell, but they are going to heaven...you know the ones that talk about some other person "because they are concerned about them" to the entire circle they know, and want them to "pray" for them while they slander away...you know those kinds. I'd argue if they were even Christian, but that's not what this blog is about...
So why is it harder to live as a Christian than not?
Because when you actually accept the grace of the sacrifice that Jesus paid on the cross, your whole life changes. That is, if you decide to have a living, actual relationship with Jesus. Sure, you can "get saved" by saying the sinners prayer and hope that you will get to heaven on that. Just like, you can "get married" and never do another caring thing for your spouse and hope you will have a "good marriage."
Sorry to break it to you, but that's no marriage at all.
Sorry to break it to you, if you've only said the prayer and go on living your way of life, that's not salvation at all.
Giving your life to Jesus is like a marriage.
That's why it can be hard.
Marriage isn't always rainbows and lolly pops.
It is however, the most rewarding relationship of your lifetime.
It takes work, and dedication. And no matter how many times you think you want to give up, or throw in the towel...well, you said those words "for better or for worse" and that holds you to a covenant that you signed up for.
When you pray the prayer, asking Jesus into your life, you are saying, "I want to have a relationship with you, so for better or for worse, in good times in bad, I will not turn my back on you." It's the most beautiful relationship you can ever have. You see, unlike a spouse, Jesus is a perfect, selfless, all loving partner. He wants the BEST for us, and will strive to make us the BEST that we can be, and asks only for genuine love in return. Even when we fail Him, over and over and over and over again, (because we are human) He still loves us and will never turn His back on us.
It's the most important relationship we can ever have, because it effects our eternity.
Yes, there is an eternity, because Jesus is real. I've seen Him, felt Him, heard Him, and live for Him everyday, and I know without a shadow of a doubt, what He said He did, He did. His word is true. All of it. And no one, will ever be able to tell me differently, because I've personally experienced Him hands on, firsthand. And I would gladly lay my life down, for Him over and over again.
Just like I will lay my life down, and my desires down, for my wonderful husband.
That's why it's harder to be a Christian.
It's easier to be single than it is to be married.
Why? Because when you are single, you can do whatever YOU want to do. You can go about YOUR desires, have as many partners (if you are not a Christian), and whatever sexual preference (again if you are not a Christian) YOU want. In other words...it's all about you, and you have no one else to answer to.
Can't do that if you are married...
Well, I suppose you can, but you won't stay married long.
So see how much more difficult it is to be married than single?
And what of all this divorce happy people in the world, especially my own country-America? The Catholic church has that right. You shouldn't be allowed to just "throw your marriage away" so easily. Just like you shouldn't throw your relationship with Christ away so easily when it gets hard.
I hear time and time again, "If God is so good, why do good people suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people?"
This world is full of selfishness. Period.
We are all effected by everyone else in this world.
When others are selfish, or do something selfish, it hurts those around them.
When big companies bring in genetically modified foods, because it will make them rich---and make us sick. Cancer shows up.
When someone decided they want to murder someone, the entire family grieves.
When men get together and shoot up a city and kill numerous people, the entire nation, and world grieves.
When a man or woman decided they fell in love with someone else, when they are clearly married. The children sufffer.
When weather starts getting out of control, it's mainly birthing pains from what we've done to this earth in our own pursuit of happiness....cars/drilling/cutting/killing/exhausts...just to name a few.
Yes, not all things we do is bad, but there are consequences to all of our actions, that's why bad things happen to every single person on this earth. Because we are all living on this earth together, and selfishness is here.
Why? Why allow selfishness? Well, God never wanted it to be that way. But He never wanted us to be robots either---so He gave us free will back in the Garden of Eden. We always tend to choose ourselves, and did even then...so here we are now.
After all, He made us in His image---so we always struggle...we always want to be our own god.
I say all this to conclude with this.
No matter how hard it is to live my life fully in love with Jesus, no matter how many people disagree with what I believe my God tells me to do, or say or act, I would never, ever, ever go back to living my life without Him. I didn't even know it then, but it was my own personal hell, compared to the life I live now.
Through all the trials, the losses, the heartache, death and pain in this world, Jesus is the only one who gets me through, and He's given me my husband to be His tangible example of His love on this earth for me. What a gift!
No matter what, I will never, ever, ever, give up on my husband (unless he cheats on me-that's end game)... Because I made that commitment. I might think of it in the heat of the moment, or say it in stupidity---but I will never give up on him. Nor will I ever give up on Jesus Christ, my Savior.
Living for Jesus is not easy, (and mark my words it will be more difficult in the years to come and there might come a time where this blog no longer exists) but it's worth it all, because I love Him more than life itself, for loving me---and laying His life down for me, so I can spend eternity in endless joy beside Him, loving me fully and completely-simply because I am His creation.
I've counted the cost.
It's worth it all.
~Larena Ann
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