Smoothing the Rough Edges

October 8, 2022

We all take on hard things at times. We just walk right into difficulty, eyes wide open.

For instance, young adults leave their parents’ home to get their own apartment. They had it made, living rent-free with someone else supplying meals and housekeeping. Moving into a place of their own means buying furniture and getting used to living in a smaller place.

People get married, knowing full well they will be making compromises in all kinds of lifestyle issues. Freedoms are given up. Single persons have only themselves to worry about.

Families acquire pets, knowing at the start that domesticated animals can’t take care of themselves.

People take on hard things because they judge that the benefits exceed the costs. Benefits can be financial, spiritual, emotional, or physical. We have the ability to choose.

Why would anyone choose to be a Christian? Jesus tells his disciples on the night before he was crucified that his disciples can expect to face every difficulty he himself faced (John 15). It’s true! Christians are often misunderstood, left out, treated as aliens, and made fun of. We don’t fit in. Why would anyone volunteer for that?

Why would you or I choose to let our lives be ruled by a God whose ways are the harder road? We do it because, as indicated earlier, the benefits exceed the costs.

I choose to follow God because He has a better perspective. I follow God because God has shown me unlimited love. I’ve given leadership of my life to Jesus because I saw in other people that Jesus’ ways are a higher way, leading to a happier and more fulfilling life.

When I relied totally on myself, I often made a mess of things. I gambled on God, and won.

If God needs to chisel off some rough edges in my life, I have learned to ignore the pain, and to even be thankful for it.

I chose God. I knew from the beginning that it would include plenty of struggles. I made the right choice.