I am a servant of God. Many are so delusional about what a Christian life is like that they believe it to be nothing but daisies and bacon (hey...bacon is good stuff). Some are so convinced of this that they believe, are taught, and teach others that if you life is not like that, that you have a faith and/or sin problem or maybe even that you are not a servant of God.
Here is the truth. If you call yourself a Christian and do not experience a regular dose of ups and downs, then you better check your relationship with Jesus and make sure it is real. The Bible says this about who is leading a Christ like life:
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Mat 7:13-14 NIV)
That should give you good reason to make sure that your relationship is real. It is factual that a Christian's life can and will have times of great happiness. Those times will pass though and that is why we are to hold onto our joy and not our happiness. Don't believe me? Read 1 Kings 19. Actually start in 18 so that you can see Elijah's happy time. Very shortly after Elijah's happy time his life does an about face. He has become full of fear and is running for his life. It is during his fleeing that God confronts Elijah. God questions Elijah about what he is doing. This is his response.
He replied, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too." (1 Kings 19:10 NIV)
If you are truly a Christian, a servant of God, then I am sure you can relate to what Elijah is saying here. I have been down this road many times. At moments I have felt that this road had no end. The thing is that we forget who we are, who God is, and who is running the show. A few verses later God puts Elijah in his place.
Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him." (1 Kings 19:18 NIV)
We are never, never alone! Being a servant of God can be challenging. For us here in the USA, it has not been nearly as challenging as it has been for others. Our time is arriving though. We are soldiers whom God has fitted with the perfect protection and weapons (Ephesians 6:11-17). In addition to being armored by God, He has also provided us with fellow soldiers.
I know, trust me I know, that the struggles are real and that they can feel insurmountable. By ourselves, they may very well be insurmountable. Focus on our Creator and our Savior, not on the obstacles of life. HE WILL GET YOU THROUGH!
