Walking with Jesus is not easy

(1 Thessalonians 3:4)

If anyone says that walking with Jesus is easy, they do not know what they are talking about.

Walking with Jesus is not easy, and we are told as much in many places throughout the Bible. This scripture today also tells us that walking with Jesus is not easy.

Now, that doesn’t mean it is not satisfying or not worthwhile. It also doesn’t mean that we should not bother because it will be hard. But what I am talking about today is that we need to be prepared for the afflictions and persecutions that will come because in the end it will be worth it all.

Afflicted for the sake of Christ

This scripture today talks about being afflicted for the sake of Christ. It is just one of many that indicate that walking with Jesus is not easy. This is what the scripture says.

For when we were with you, we told you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction; just as it has come to pass, and as you know. (1 Thessalonians 3:4)

Paul told the Thessalonians church that this was to occur. He told them they would suffer affliction, which he stated in the verses leading up to this one. And here he tells us that these afflictions did come to pass.

And there are numerous other similar scriptures that tell us walking with Jesus is not easy. Consider these as some examples.

Indeed all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2 Timothy 3:12)

And;

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal which comes upon you to prove you, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12)

These are just two more examples that show us walking with Jesus is not easy.

In our walk with Christ we will suffer persecutions, afflictions, tribulations, fiery ordeals, hatred from others and so on. It is our lot as Christians to suffer these things just as Jesus suffered when He was on the earth.

Why do we suffer?

You may wonder why we suffer and why we need to suffer. There are a couple of reasons for this suffering and affliction that we go through.

The first reason is external. The world is not of God or following the ways of God and is under the control of the devil.

The devil hates anything of God and opposes Jesus Christ and anyone who chooses to follow Christ. The devil’s desire is to destroy mankind and especially those who follow Jesus. So he puts all kinds of obstacles in the path of those who seek to follow the Lord. He has his servants, the demons and the people of the world, stand against the people of God to try and bring them down through persecutions and afflictions. He wants to destroy us because when we turn to Christ, the devil loses his power and control over us.

The second reason is internal. When we first come to Christ, we are basically still people of the world with all of the weaknesses of mankind that are not helpful in following Christ.

As we walk with Christ, He does a work of transformation in us through the working of the Holy Spirit. He is transforming us from the sinful likeness of man into the righteous likeness of Christ.

And that work of transformation can be painful as the Holy Spirit strips away the weaknesses and faults of humanity to replace them with the thoughts and ways of God.

So we suffer because we need to be disciplined in order that these changes take place. And they must take place if we are to inherit the kingdom God has prepared for those who love Him. No sinner will go into His kingdom. No sinner can inherit God’s kingdom.

Walking with Jesus is not easy

This is why walking with Jesus is not easy. It is a difficult path because we will be tempted by the devil, tempted by the world, tempted by those closest to us, and tempted by our own human passions and desires.

Temptations to sin will come to all of us. It is one of the inescapable facts of learning to walk with Jesus.

There will be times too, when we fall and succumb to temptations. When that happens there are two things we must remember and do.

First, repent. Come to the Lord in prayer and repent of the wrong that you have done…and mean it. Don’t just say the words, mean the words. Repentance is not a thing to be taken lightly. Repentance is a cry to the Lord for change to occur. In fact repentance is all about change, specifically changing the way you think which then leads to a change in behaviour.

And second, do not condemn yourself for failing.

The scripture tells us there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. So if Christ doesn’t condemn you when you fall, why should you condemn yourself? Are you greater than God?

The Lord knows that we are weak. He knows we are all “works in progress” and that we are not yet perfected in Christ. We are being perfected by the Holy Spirit as we walk with Christ, but we are not there yet. So Jesus doesn’t condemn us when we fall but instead He helps us and lifts us up when we turn to Him in repentance.

So do not condemn yourself but instead seek to learn from your failures so that you will be stronger next time. And if you fall into the same temptations again, and again, don’t be concerned. Some things are harder to overcome than others, but when the Lord sees fit that these things should be removed, He will take them from you.

Is it worth it all?

Yes.

Walking with Jesus is not easy, but it is worth all of the pain and suffering you may go through.

You will get to a place where you can be at peace in yourself regardless of what is going on around you. There is also a joy that you will find in Christ that cannot be found anywhere else.

And then there is also the promise and the hope of salvation to those who follow Christ. These promises are beyond anything we can even begin to imagine. How can we possibly conceive of an eternity of peace, happiness and joy with the Lord? We may think we know what it will be like, but I am certain we cannot fully even begin to understand the fullness of what the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

And the one other thing I mentioned was hope.

In following Christ we have hope for a better future, as well as hope in this lifetime.

The world and the people in it have no hope. They see the disasters and tribulations in this world and they are afraid. They don’t have anyone to turn to for help and for hope in drastic times.

And I should mention that the rest of the world will go through their own set of afflictions, trials, tribulations, and so on, but without anyone to help them. If they reject Christ, He will not help them.

And they will suffer at the hands of the devil even more than Christians because the devil does not love them. He hates them and wants to see them destroyed as he will be destroyed himself.

So, walking with Jesus is not easy, but it is worth it. Walking without Christ is worse, because then you stand at the whims of the devil with no-one to support or help you. Walking without Christ is to live without hope, and hopelessness is one of the worst things that can happen to a person. It is the cause of so many problems today like, depression, disconnectedness, suicide, people opting out and giving up on life.

Walking with Jesus is not Jesus, but walking without Him is disastrous. Seek the Lord and walk with Him, and do not fear the trials and tribulations that come. As the scripture says, they are but a momentary affliction compared to the eternal weight of glory that is to be revealed to those who follow Christ.

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