I am sour today

I along with helping my friend Ryan at his farm out last night also played in my first and last softball game of the year. We got crushed, but that is not the point...

I had not used a lot of the muscles that I used last night in a long time, therefore waking up this morning very sour. When I have played in the past, I remember that the first day is always the hardest, because of this reason. But we all know, that each time after, it gets less and less sour.

Same with our spiritual walk. Some of us start this journey with God thinking that when I start to follow him, I will have a "bubble of protection" around me. So with all their hearts in the beginning run after God. They wake up the next day, and wammmo... something happens where they experience this pain that they "thought they were now immune to". If that is you, and someone told you that following after God was going to be easy and that you will not have no pain or problems, I am sorry they told you that because that is a lie! Following after Jesus, yes is an amazing experience, but we have to realize that it is "Counter Culture" (Jesus was, and if we follow Him, we should be too). Jesus did say, "If you want to be my disciple (follower), you must pick up your cross daily and follow me. That is no pretty picture, and it sure sounds like at least some of my days in following Jesus might involve some pain or hardship.

Here is the cool thing though about having Christ. The Bible also says, "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that lives, but Christ who lives in me."(Gal. 2:20) It is Christ who gives us the power to daily pick up that heavy cross and move into our circles of influence and impact a lost culture for Jesus Christ. The Bible also says in Philippians, "For I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!" Not some things, but all things.

So if you are on this Journey, and you have woken up today sour because of following after Jesus, keep going. Let Jesus be your strength! In my experience (and we can only talk from what we ourselves have experienced), when we continue to follow, even when we are sour, it just gets a little easier every day. Maybe because we trust more, I don't know, but keep going. If you fall down because you are following Christ (persecuted), get back up and keep walking forward.

God has been rocking my world this week, and he has amazed me in ways I never knew possible!