For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. ... My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.Despite my efforts, however, I often fail. My pilgrimage, my walk "in the light" can become a dark nightmare of a journey. I have so many pits that I can fall into. Legalism can set me on a course away from the Holy Spirit. Pride can make me shine until I'm blind to everything else, even the most basic, open pit. Whenever I trip in my walk, self-pity and depression can snag my feet and pull me in. Yet God has given me tools and blessings that can defeat each one of these pits, allowing me to walk around or even above them without falling into them. His grace is undeservedly mine, but mine nonetheless. And it can be anyone's too. All we need to do is move from being a fan of Jesus towards being a follower. It's a choice we all have, each day, every day.
I need Jesus every day. I need his power to carry my cross that I bear. Others have their cross, I have mine. I don't need to nail myself to it. I just need to follow Jesus wherever he leads. As I follow, I find myself drawn closer to him, knowing both his pain and his comfort. It is not an easy, wide, smooth road. It's a narrow, jagged, rough trail. But I believe that the end is truly the beginning and it is worth all I might suffer.
Jesus of Nazareth is the very Word of God and the life we can have through him, both here and hereafter is worth the price to pay. I choose him, daily, hourly, sometimes by the minute, but I choose him because I know enough about him to trust him. He will be with me forever. How can I say no to such a wonderful offer?
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