It’s Hard To Be a Jesus-Follower

It’s hard to be a Jesus-follower when life is difficult. It’s hard to reign in your anger when someone treats you poorly. It’s hard to be happy for others when all you’ve had recently is misfortune. It’s hard to put on a smile and try to encourage others when your energy is focused on how to fix your own problems.  

Satan knows this and uses it to his advantage. This is why he went before God and accused God of using His power to make life care-free so that people would love Him. 

"Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. But now stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." (Job 1:9-11) 

God allowed Satan to afflict Job, but Job never wavered in his faith. He knew in his heart that God had ultimate control of his life and would work everything out.  

Sometimes life stinks. Sometimes Satan doesn’t just get in one punch, but five or six. The bad news keeps coming, and you feel like God doesn’t care.  

Hold your head high, Christian. Resist the devil and his schemes to drive you away from God. Look for other people that are keeping the faith under difficult circumstances (1 Peter 5:9) Let them inspire and encourage you. Loving God isn’t just a one-time decision...it takes grit, perseverance, a daily decision to love even when God is silent. God never promised that life wouldn’t be hard, but He has promised to give a crown of life to everyone who perseveres under trials (James 1:12)