Being a Christian isn't always easy. Actually, it rarely is. Unlike other religions, Christianity isn't all warm fuzzies and happy days. When you devote your life to God, you are saying no to what you want to do, and yes to what God commands. You can't spend your life on a couch, watching TV and eating chips. You have to get up and serve and minister to others. You have to constantly deny your wants and pursue a righteous lifestyle.
What is your response when your faith leads to ruined relationships, insults, or hurt? The secular world will beat you up for following Christ. They won't deem you acceptable to society. Would you give up Christianity because the world finds it repulsive?
The Lord prompts us to be happy when conflicts arise in society because of your faith. As Matthew 5:11-12 puts it, "blessed are people when they insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Our struggles through life will test our faith, which grows.
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of many kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." James 1:2-4
When your ministry goes wrong, when people turn against you, when you don't know how you're going to make it through, have faith in God. Through the bad times, you're faith in the Lord will only increase. The greater your faith, the easier it is to turn to God in any situation. A firm trust and relationship with God will make life so much more fulfilling.
Don't give up on living for God, because you will see how it was worth it in the end.
Sometimes you may wonder "why bother?". You must remind yourself of why you became a Christian in the first place: because the love of Jesus Christ is so overwhelming, that you can't help but follow after it.
God sees your efforts to advance His kingdom, and He will gladly reward you in heaven. Galatians 6:9 says, "let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up".
He encourages us to believe that our good works really do make a difference, and that we must keep going; even if we get tired or distraught.
We don't have to be hesitant or frustrated with Christianity. We are capable of so much change, through the power of Christ in us. No force of this world is strong enough to take God down. Praise God for giving you the opportunity to grow your faith through trials. And pray that, when those trials come, you'll be able to see God's faithfullness through them.
