“Am I the only one living like this?” you ask yourself, feeling alone. I knew that following Jesus wouldn’t be easy, but it’s harder than I thought. And everyone else notices. I talk different, think different, I LIVE different. You knew you were called to live this way, but that doesn’t change the loneliness that you feel. And people treat you differently than you wish they did. I want to be NORMAL; you think. But normal in society is so sad and destructive. They are never satisfied, always longing, looking to anything to satisfy themselves. And you KNOW that deep down, but sometimes you find yourself longing and wondering what it would be like to date that guy, go to that party, hang out with those people. You know that it would be good for a while, but in the long run it would be destroying your soul.
We are swimming against the current of culture. We do everything differently than they do. We live pure, instead of with lust. Live with joy and hope instead of depression. We live with peace instead of fear and anxiety. Of course, we can struggle with these things, but we serve the God that loves us and gives us freedom, while others live in bondage. You know that you have comfort when others don’t, but you have even considered giving it up to be ‘accepted’ by society.
“I created you with a purpose,” you hear the still voice of the Lord tell you. You feel comforted. There is almost a comfort in knowing that you are unique. You still struggle with the thoughts sometimes, but your perspective has changed. The more time that you are spending with the Lord, the more you see the bigger picture. It’s no longer about you, but about what He wants to do. You can truly say that the Lord is your best friend. It would of course be easier to give up, and the devil will throw whatever lies he can at you to get you to give up. But you know he is a liar.
The easy way isn’t always the best way. It gives you short-time gratification, but the more the struggle, the bigger the reward. You see friends falling into mediocrity. They have lost the all-consuming fire. It is hard as you see people that you love come and go. It’s hard to find someone that is chasing the Lord as much as you are. Feeling like an outsider doesn’t bother you anymore when you realize this is the calling. So many people are worried about themselves. What will happen to them, how do they look, who are their friends. But the Lord has reminded you that it’s about Him reaching people and their eternity, not your short time reputation for mortal people, but how you can help change someone’s forever. Saving the lost and loving everyone is now your life mission.
The enemy still tries to sneakily lie to you, but you now know that his lies have no power over you unless you believe them.
When you realize Jesus lived like this, you stop caring about what others think about you. Reading the Bible encourages you to live like the people of the early church. Your heart is so on fire for God. The enemy still tries to sneakily lie to you, but you now know that his lies have no power over you unless you believe them. Jesus lived a life of serving others and putting forth the kingdom of God in our world. He had so much opposition, way more than we do, and He STILL didn’t sin. You are at peace with who you are because you know that is who God created you to be. You know that Jesus understands it all. He lived it out. He sees all the pain and tears and will use it all for your testimony. You have finally come to the realization that THIS is living with a purpose. Swimming against the current isn’t easy, but it’s so worth it. You have found the narrow road!!
“But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.” Matthew 7:14 (NLT)
Leave a Reply