Surviving the journey and the ups and downs!!!

[Jesus] said to them all, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

I have been meditating on this passage for a few weeks. It takes a great deal of discipline to take up a burden and live each day with that burden. Every believer has a burden to carry and it does not help to deny the reality of our burdens. I believe our burden travels with us for the purpose of making us depend on God on the journey of life. Pramila Barkataki of Maharashtra, India writes:

It was going to be my first long bus ride. The receptionist at the counter attempted to allay my fears by telling me that it was a nice journey over a smooth road. After talking with her for quite some time, I felt reassured and boarded the bus. Within a short time, I realized that what she had told me was not so. The drive was rough and full of jerks, at times even throwing me off my seat. I was not prepared for it, and I blamed the receptionist for not telling me the truth.

Jesus answers the question of the the young ruler who wanted to inherit eternal life with selling everything and giving to the poor. When Jesus told him to sell all that he had before following him, the young man chose not to follow. Jesus could have made the way appear easier for the young man, but instead he gave a true picture of the cost of discipleship.

Remembering my rough ride and the story in Luke 18, I thought of my journey in the Christian faith. When I was learning about Christ, I was told what it meant to follow him that I would suffer hardships and difficulties and even rejection by my own family members. Because of this, when I chose to receive Christ, I was prepared to face the consequences. I knew what to expect, and when difficulty came I was not taken by surprise. This made my Christian journey easier.

The difficulties we face in life are part of the journey and bring us to a place of knowing and depending on Jesus in all things. The good news is that He never leaves us and we have each other to lean on. Over time, we come to accept the bumps and jerks all the while embracing the grace of Jesus through every moment.

We are on the journey together...You know I love ya, Don