I may be a little late for the Easter blog post train but hey, that's kind of my m.o. - being, in one way or other, late.
I was scrolling through facebook (no surprise there) and saw a repost about believing in Jesus, and how if you are right about Him, awesome, if you are wrong, oh well. On the other hand, if you don't believe, you are risking it all in the end.
I guess some people view it that way. It's weird to me, personally, but I started wondering why people are so adamant about putting down others for believing in Jesus. I see it a lot on facebook where a person will comment and completely out of the blue start tearing down Jesus, the belief in Jesus, and anyone who is fill in the blank enough to follow Jesus.
The only conclusion I could really come to (although I am certain it only accounts for some people's experience) is that people simply don't understand what it costs to follow Jesus.There's been this misconception that Jesus means rules - He set forth all these ideas we have to live up to, and that means we don't get to do the things we want to do. We want to live life in our own comfort and freedom, not to be told that we can't do this or that. We don't want to give up the short time we have on Earth making ourselves miserable for a religion that might not even be right. Maybe some people are cool with giving up everything to chase this belief - but honestly, at what cost?
Well, truly, there is no cost.
Jesus already paid it; that's the part that even life-long believers struggle with. We all say it, but we don't live a life that shows we believe it. Why is that? Because we cannot as humans FATHOM that someone would pay what Jesus paid for us. He died for our sins. Okay? Cool? Those are just words. It doesn't mean much to us lowly humans. There has not been any occurrence on this Earth thus far to give us any precedence for Jesus actually did and accomplished and suffered.
He was born into a complicated situation, knowing He was God but also being man.
He was aware of His human mind. He felt all the emotions we can't even put a name to. When you think of Jesus as this meek, easy going soul who never faltered, you are stopping short of the true glory of what He did for us. He felt fear, and anger, and sorrow and anxiety. He experienced the devastating sadness that people feel when they can't go on. I'm certain He did - because He allowed people who hated Him to murder Him for basically nothing. We can't even wrap our heads around that. Humans aren't known for being the sacrificial type by any means. He followed through for us. Every person, no matter how "good" or "bad" was weighing on His heart so heavily that He literally was tortured to death to repair the broken connection we had with Him.
That was the cost He paid.
I was scrolling through facebook (no surprise there) and saw a repost about believing in Jesus, and how if you are right about Him, awesome, if you are wrong, oh well. On the other hand, if you don't believe, you are risking it all in the end.
I guess some people view it that way. It's weird to me, personally, but I started wondering why people are so adamant about putting down others for believing in Jesus. I see it a lot on facebook where a person will comment and completely out of the blue start tearing down Jesus, the belief in Jesus, and anyone who is fill in the blank enough to follow Jesus.
The only conclusion I could really come to (although I am certain it only accounts for some people's experience) is that people simply don't understand what it costs to follow Jesus.There's been this misconception that Jesus means rules - He set forth all these ideas we have to live up to, and that means we don't get to do the things we want to do. We want to live life in our own comfort and freedom, not to be told that we can't do this or that. We don't want to give up the short time we have on Earth making ourselves miserable for a religion that might not even be right. Maybe some people are cool with giving up everything to chase this belief - but honestly, at what cost?
Well, truly, there is no cost.
Jesus already paid it; that's the part that even life-long believers struggle with. We all say it, but we don't live a life that shows we believe it. Why is that? Because we cannot as humans FATHOM that someone would pay what Jesus paid for us. He died for our sins. Okay? Cool? Those are just words. It doesn't mean much to us lowly humans. There has not been any occurrence on this Earth thus far to give us any precedence for Jesus actually did and accomplished and suffered.
He was born into a complicated situation, knowing He was God but also being man.
He was aware of His human mind. He felt all the emotions we can't even put a name to. When you think of Jesus as this meek, easy going soul who never faltered, you are stopping short of the true glory of what He did for us. He felt fear, and anger, and sorrow and anxiety. He experienced the devastating sadness that people feel when they can't go on. I'm certain He did - because He allowed people who hated Him to murder Him for basically nothing. We can't even wrap our heads around that. Humans aren't known for being the sacrificial type by any means. He followed through for us. Every person, no matter how "good" or "bad" was weighing on His heart so heavily that He literally was tortured to death to repair the broken connection we had with Him.
That was the cost He paid.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
Matthew 26:36-39 -Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with me.” And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
What cost is left for me?
To be honest, this world is poky. It's awful. Being human sucks in so many ways and to so many degrees. It is physically and mentally excruciating sometimes. I found myself dealing with the yuck of life today, for example. I was so completely raw and broken that I couldn't even function. I didn't know what to do with myself, and I am blessed to feel extreme sensory input in direct correlation to my emotional status - so basically, I physically felt like I was swimming in an Olympic size pool of cacti. I started praying because I know that Jesus doesn't want me paying these dues that He already paid for us.
I cried out for some kind of answer because I was lost with no clue what to do about all the overwhelm. And I could feel the response.
It's going to be okay.
I knew Jesus was there with me, comforting me and giving me hope - because I could feel it. His spiritual embrace healed my worry.
I have never felt comfort from people saying, "I'm sorry" or "it's okay" or "don't worry." I don't feel comforted by hugs. People don't really cheer me up. It's different when the presence of the Lord is with you. It's a true comfort that envelopes all of you, and you know those words are not said in vain. I knew because I heard His voice that it didn't matter what else the world might throw at me. It would actually genuinely be OKAY.
That's the price I pay to follow Jesus. I am not lacking in anything that a non-believing person gets to do or experience. I'm not burdened by rules and regulations because that's not something we will ever be perfect about and I don't sweat the small stuff. I am not hurting for some earthly joy that my neighbor has but I don't. Instead, I have a direct line to a real and true love that protects me from the darkness of this world that threatens to swallow us up. My hope is in something eternal because I feel it and He reminds me.
I went home and turned on a Christian radio station that I had never listened to before, and a song came on called Into the Sea (It's Gonna Be Okay).
Coincidence?
Probably.
Jesus loves to use coincidences.
I went home and turned on a Christian radio station that I had never listened to before, and a song came on called Into the Sea (It's Gonna Be Okay).
Coincidence?
Probably.
Jesus loves to use coincidences.
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