The other day, I was talking with a friend of mine who doesn’t believe in Jesus, and as we were talking, she said, “being a Christian seems like it’s so easy.” I laughed, because that isn’t the case AT ALL.
If I’m being honest, I would rather give into what my flesh wants. I would love to go out drinking with my friends. I would rather go complain about how hard my life is. I would love to stay in San Diego, where I’m comfortable. I would love to sit in anger and resent those who have hurt me instead of forgiving them.
There are days when choosing to sacrifice all of my desires, addictions, sin, and faults before the Lord to pursue Him alone is the opposite of what I want to do. It’s uncomfortable. It’s hard.
But as I’ve walked this walk, I realized some things along the way:
- Trying to fill a God sized hole with anything other than Him won’t work. We will never be satisfied if we continue to feed our flesh rather than our spirit. When we lay down everything and actually allow His Holy Spirit to fill us, we will have abundantly MORE than we will ever need.
- Having a relationship with Jesus requires work. You can’t expect the hole to be filled by the Spirit of God if you aren’t in the bible, in prayer, in community. Getting to know Jesus is no different than making a new friend. Make the time to spend with Him.
- We are not alone in this walk. Share your struggles and sins with those you trust and can keep you accountable. Ask for help when you need it. Cry it out. Let your people and our God cover you as you walk.
Following Jesus is hard. It’s uncomfortable. It’s sacrificial. It strips everything away. And yet, it is the most freeing, the most transformative, and the sweetest journey we can go on. No, my friends, it isn’t easy. But man, it’s worth it.
Love you guys.
– Sammi Jean
