My Life Would Be So Much Easier Without Jesus!

I don’t know about you, but when I started this Jesus journey, I kinda thought it would be easy. I know…so naïve of me! What silly, youthful arrogance!

Well 7 years later, I now know the truth. Following Jesus is hard. Like haaarrrd. I’ve seen it cause friends give up incomes and salaries and homes. Forgive the unforgivable, reach out to someone who doesn’t deserve it. To keep trying for the 73^rd time. Even to talk to strangers on the subway! But 7 years later, I now also know that following Him is so worth it.

Our stories of faith are full of ups and downs. They’re full of misses and mistakes, and not quites and almosts and getting it just rights and absolutely nailing it. They’re full of “Yes Lord’s!” and “Please don’t send me’s!” and “Man, this is what I was made for’s!” and “Get me out of this right now’s!”  I know because I’ve had all of the above at one point or another.

I’m currently in the process of applying for a UK visa, which let me tell you, has not been easy. At all. Things have seemed to come together and then in the last moment fallen apart. I’ve gotten my hopes up and my spirits dashed time and time again. But through it all, through every loud ‘Why God?!?” to every quiet “I really thought this was it, Lord,” He has continually reassured me that the UK is where I belong. Even when I wish He didn’t.

Because the fact of the matter is my life would be SO much easier if I had just stayed in South Carolina all those years ago. I really loved SC. I had great friends and a solid church to serve at. I had work opportunities to build on. I had a car. Life was good. But 6 years ago, the Lord called me to go on this crazy missions thing called the World Race. So I went. 

Life would’ve been a lot easier if I had just stayed in Nashville. I had great friends there. Still do. I was joyfully and successfully holding down 3 jobs. I had a spirit-filled church community, and crazy favour in ministry. But the Lord said it was time to move on. So I did.

It would be easier to stay in Philadelphia with my nieces and free rent. It would be easier to stay in Los Angeles with my Re-Generation family and beach days in November. It would be easier to stay in a country where I don’t need to remember the distinction between ‘pants’ and ‘trousers.’ Where they drive on the right (literally) side of the road. Where we all agree that biscuits are delicious flakey sides best served with gravy and fried chicken and not crunchy cookies to have with tea.

My life would be so much easier without Jesus! Oh wait, missionaries aren’t supposed to say that, right? Well it’s true. My life would be easier without Jesus, and I bet yours would too. 

And that’s because the closer you get to Jesus, the more He asks of you. This is the God that wouldn’t allow Moses into the Promise Land because he struck the rock instead of spoke to it. I hear that and think, “Yeah but he believed You’d make water come from a rock! Wasn’t that enough???” But the Lord was too close to Moses to allow even the slightest discrepancy.

See, God wants all of you. But lucky for us, in exchange, we get all of Him. We get to be everything He says we are. We get to experience everything He says He is.

So every time He asks you to step out in faith- whether that means believing for a visa, or selling your home, or talking to the dude on the subway- He’s beckoning you a little closer to His heart. He’s asking you to give one more bit of yourself to Him, so that He can give you another piece of Himself in return.

Yes, all of our lives would be easier if we weren’t asked to live a life of faith. But we also would never learn to trust the Lord. We would never have the deep friendship with Him we both long for. We would never get the fullness of Him that He wants us to have.

Written by Sarah
(Soon to be living in England)
Follow her journey here.