There are many times we are faced with a beautifully complex tension as we leaf through the pages of God’s Word. I actually touched on one such tension in Thursday’s blog: God has all the power, but He still gives us the freedom to choose. Can you say TENSION?

 

Here’s one more that is worth some time to think through.

 

Jesus said following Him was NOT easy. He requires that you die to yourself and live for Him. In other places He implies that we make it much more difficult than it needs to be. Hmmm.

 

Let me show you. Read Luke 14:25-35. Does it sound easy or difficult to follow Jesus?

 

Now read Matthew 11:28-30. I really like this one in The Message.

 

I don’t have the perfect answer for this tension, but I do think the following  statements are true:

 

1-Anyone can follow Jesus and you can start right now, right where you’re at. You don’t have to earn or achieve any kind of spiritual “standing” to get this journey under way.

 

2-Following Jesus is way more than just saying a prayer or getting baptized so we don’t go to hell. Following Him is a daily process of turning over total control to the One who knows best.

 

While coming to Jesus is easy, and that’s where grace comes in, we cannot take the cross so lightly that we continue to do our own thing while calling ourselves Christ followers. It’s time, if we’ve made that choice to follow Him, to, ummmm, follow Him!