Sometimes I find myself in a situation that is so difficult I think to myself, “If I would’ve known how hard this was going to be, I don’t know if I would’ve done it.”
The most obvious example is hiking the Grand Canyon in a day. It’s not until you are on your way out, physically and emotionally exhausted, that you begin to wonder what you’re truly made of.
In the midst of the difficulty of getting out, the words of the Park Ranger that dropped you off at the trailhead come back to mind, “So you’re going to the river and back in the same day? Even though we strongly advise you not to?” You begin to wonder, “Was she right? Should I have listened?”
The Park Rangers actually discourage you as much as possible. Jesus does the same thing. Jesus says many things that discourage people from following Him, not because He wants to be discouraging, but because He didn’t want people committing to something not knowing what they were committing to.
For example:
In Matthew 8:20, Jesus tells a man who wants to follow, “The foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”
In Luke 14:28, Jesus says, “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?”
And again in Luke 14:31, “Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough…”
What is Jesus doing? Doesn’t He want people to follow Him? Yes, and no. He wants people who have some kind of idea what they are getting into. He wants people to know that following Him can mean great difficulty and possibly even death. But after considering those things, if a person still wants to follow, He gladly accepts.
The rangers at the Grand Canyon do the same thing. They want people to hike the canyon, but not without an understanding of the difficulty.
The difficulty of hiking the Grand Canyon is what makes it great. The same is true of following Jesus. He wants more than anything for you to follow Him, but He won’t lie and tell you that it will be easy. Don’t let anyone else tell you different.
Much Love,
Wes LeFlore (918) 607-8489 or huskerwes1@gmail.com
