You know a lot of people think there are many things in life that make them “tough,” “real,” or “100.” Including me. In high school I lost my boyfriend very unexpectedly. Two years later in 2010 I lost two grandparents just months before graduation and two great aunts shortly after. I thought man if I can take that much loss I can take anything. My granny meant the world to me and to have to face an unexpected death like that really caused me to build a wall that was hard to tear down.
Even in everything that I’ve been through and as tough as I tend to think I can be the realest thing I’ve ever done is give my life to Christ. I don’t say that because my life is so awesome now. I say that because it takes a trooper to live this life. I say all the time that this lifestyle isn’t for the weak.
Luke 14:28-30 28 But don’t begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it? 29 Otherwise, you might complete only the foundation before running out of money, and then everyone would laugh at you. 30 They would say, “There’s the person who started that building and couldn’t afford to finish it.”
So what’s the cost? Well…
Luke 14:33- So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own.
Now that’s real. True strength is actually found in surrender. It’s easy to continue pleasing your flesh. It’s easy to continue doing what feels good. It’s easy to continue in what’s comfortable. But it’s hard denying your flesh of something you’ve known all your life…sin. It’s hard to resist those things you once loved. It’s hard to trade in your desires for a plan that you can’t see playing out. Faith is hard. Doubt is easy. So are you prepared to be a soldier?
2 Timothy 2:3-4 3Endure suffering along with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 Soldiers don’t get tied up in the affairs of civilian life, for then they cannot please the officer who enlisted them.
Recently I experienced what spiritual warfare is all about. I had feelings I simply could not explain and I was in such a place that I knew only God could bring me from. I was just down and disconnected for no apparent reason at all. I prayed over and over telling God that he had to deliver me from this place because I just couldn’t continue for my days to continue going how they’d been going. And then my eyes were opened to the devil’s schemes. Satan is so real. He oppresses. He deceives. He lies. He tempts. He goes to war against us. It takes a strong person to wake up and decide to put on the armor of God and go to war EVERY SINGLE DAY.
So if you’re looking for the easy way out Jesus isn’t it. If you’re looking for what’s comfortable and what feels good that’s not what Jesus is calling you to. In the scripture reference above in Luke 14 Jesus is essentially telling you (paraphrased as I like to do) “Yo you really better consider what you’re getting yourself into here. If you want to be apart of my army you have to give up everything you’ve ever known.”
But the wonderful thing about this trade off is that you give up things that you think are so important when in reality you gain the world. Yes Satan will still continue to attack you. Yes you may still struggle with the same things, but God will give you the power to overcome those things. You literally gain the world. So, is this lifestyle easy? Not by a long shot. Is it worth it? With ever fiber of my being I would make the decision 100 times over no matter what it means giving up. Because by giving up everything I have gained the world. By giving up everything I have experienced a love that only my creator could show me. So suit up soldier. You’re needed on the battlefield.
Yours in love,
Shell
Check out this great video on Facebook that inspired this post –> The Devils Bazooka
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