The Cost of Being a Christian
Also, I will be trying to get back to a normal posting schedule this week, so no more extra rants and thoughts. Sorry everyone.
As I read through my Great Grandpa’s sermon notes, I saw that he had several sermons on the cost of being a Christian.
This thought made me think…
You see, in church now a days we talk about the amazing rewards
of being a Christian. We talk about the “perks’” of following him and the
endless joy and perfect peace that we can find in the arms of Jesus.
I love the perks, don’t get me wrong. I love to know that I’m
treasured and redeemed and that in times of need, I can be lifted up on God’s
shoulders.
It’s totally awesome!
But I think that so often in our Christian walk, we neglect
the fact that in every pilgrimage there are both ups and downs.
There are valleys of depression and desperation, but also mountain
tops wherein we have found the face of Jesus, and see the way that he moves.
You see, in a pilgrimage. There are times of great growth
and happiness, but also times of feeling overwhelmed by the walls that we have
to climb.
The cost to being a Christian is that we have to surrender
in the highs and in the lows.
But as my Grandpa’s sermon collection pointed out, it’s so
worth it.
In the story of the prodigal son, the prodigal son went astray;
the cost of him coming back to the father was his rags and wretchedness.
Although the cost of being a Christian could very easily be
your life, it most assuredly is your rags. It’s the stupid things you’ve done
and the pain of your past. They are washed in the blood of the Lamb and are
thrown as far as the East is to the West.
That is worth it.
~Rachel Joy and Burt Person