Tell me why

"The typical media testimony goes like this: « I was sick and broke a total failure. Then I met Jesus. New everything is fine; my business is booming, and I am a great success.”
It sounds wonderful. Be a Christian and get a bigger house and a boat and vacation in the Holy Land. But if that were really God’s way, it would put some Christians behind the Iron Curtain and in the Two-Thirds World in a pretty bad light. Their testimonies often go something like this:
“I was happy. I had everything – prestige, recognition, a good job, and a happy wife and children. Then I gave my life to Jesus Christ. Now I am in Siberia, having lost family, wealth, reputation, job and health.”
K.P. Yohannan

That is very interesting. Don’t you think so? I don’t mean to say “interesting” and leave my interest here, forget and live just as if I didn’t read these few phrases. That is very interesting to me. Because when I think about it, I realize that it is very true. Isn’t it true that I want to enjoy life to the best, be loved by people around me, have nice things, be accepted by the “cool” people (even though I don’t want to be like them and I don’t necessarily like them, I still want to look good in their eyes)… Isn’t it true? And I think it’s true for most Christians too. If you don’t think such things as I write them, just look at the way you spend money, the way you dress when you go to church or a special event, just look at what you’re thinking when you’re around cool people. How do you feel like when the preacher asks people to come forward when you know you should go (not just to receive salvation by for different things)? What is your first thought when your schedule has to change because of a prayer meeting? When you’re on a mission trip and you have to sleep on the floor or do door-to-door evangelism in the heat of a humid day? I could go on and on with examples but I hope you get the point. The thing is that I want to be comfortable and pain-free… on earth. I want the easy path and I don’t like giving up my so-called “rights”. Like the rich young man (Mat. 19:16-22) who went to Jesus and asked Him how he could receive life everlasting, Jesus tells him at the end to give everything he had to the poor and follow Him. The rich man left, sad, because he didn’t want to depart from his riches. I know it sounds ridiculous, but what do you think Jesus would have said to this man if he would have started following Jesus and then went home for the night, did whatever he needed to do like work and take care of his land and etc. and when he had some free time during the day, hung out with Jesus, then went home for a snack and slept in his bed… It sounds funny. It seems to me that Jesus is taken as a mere “pal”. But that’s not what he asked of the rich man. “Give up everything and follow me” was basically what he told him.
So why do we act like that? Why do I think that I can “follow” Jesus to paradise by walking with Him whenever I feel like it, and skip the parts where he suffers and is ridiculed? Does it make sense? Why am I looking for a comfortable life and hope for more money, more friends to make me feel good about myself, more nice stuff?
People who came to Christ long ago did not come in order to get a heaven and a good life, people now countries where Christianity is rejected come to Christ not in the hope of getting a better health or life, they’re looking for something far beyond this.
I want to be able to say that I am following Christ because I gave up everything for Him. It doesn’t mean I need to go live on the street. It means that the way I live every minute of my life, at school, work, church, with friends, etc. is under the control of Jesus, I don’t do things my way, I don’t buy things I crave, I don’t think the way this world thinks about success, I live according to Jesus and I desire His approval alone.
I hope I am living more and more that way. It doesn’t mean it is easy, sin challenges me all the time, and all the more when I take a step for Christ. We aren’t called to live like the rest of the world, our Savior died on a cross, scoffed by sinners and asks us to take up our cross and do the same. It’s okay if I’m not accepted for doing the things of God, it’s okay if people laugh at me because I go to church every Sunday and talk about Jesus, it’s okay to surrender my rights to show love to others, it’s okay to speak up and tell people that the conversation isn’t right, it’s okay to seek Jesus in a radical way. It hurts deeply, but that’s the narrow road on which Jesus walked.
Please check up www.randomnesssignedgibbons.blogspot.com that’s were I found inspiration.

BANK FOR NATIVE MISSIONARIES: 25$/ as of March 17, 2006.
I WILL BE SENDING THE MONEY TO GOSPEL FOR ASIA ON MARCH 29 THIS MONTH. WE’LL PROBABLY GET A KEROSENE LANTERN @ 29$. Yes I know, all we have is 25$ but I am sure that we’ll get the 4$ we need for it before the 29th. Please consider being a part of the work of native missionaries in Asia by sending to Gospel for Asia or myself a buck or two or more so we can buy things that these saints need in the work of spreading the good news of Jesus out there.

Oh, by the way, now you can leave a comment on my blog, whoever you are. You don’t need to own your own blog or anything. Just leave a comment by clicking on the “comments” link.