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Welcome to the Christian Life

What if someone promised you the perfect place to live, in a more beautiful location than you had ever seen or imagined, with every single one of your needs met and where you would be surrounded by relationships of love forever? What if that person told you that you would need to surrender what you now have, that the journey would be long, and that there would be sacrifices and suffering along the way, but at the end the glories that have been pictured for you would be yours? What if someone promised that when you become weak and disheartened, someone would be there to encourage and strengthen you, so you could continue the journey? What if this person said that there is a place in this gloryland prepared just for you? What would you say and do as you compared the small bag of things you have now to the unprecedented beauty of the gift laid before you? Wouldn’t you say, “I’ll take that journey”? Wouldn’t you be willing to make those sacrifices? Wouldn’t you, in moments of discouragement, when you are about to lose your mind, picture those promises again, remember the glory, and press on? Would anything stop you? Welcome to the journey that is the Christian life. Yes, you are called to a life of surrender. You are called to endure, and you will face suffering and sacrifices along the way, but a guaranteed glory is awaiting you far beyond anything you would be bold enough to ask for or have the capacity to imagine.

PAUL DAVID TRIPP
(Source : Do You Believe?)
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