Nor is it ‘easy’. And accepting Jesus isn’t a free ride nor does it exempt us from problems. Jesus tells us in John 16:33, MSG:
“I’ve told you all this so that trusting Me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”
Accepting Jesus as Lord truly is the only way, the only answer. If you want to be free from the anguish… never forget that He said would never leave or forsake us… He will always be with us. And … in the statement by Jesus, He also provides us with a promise – He HAS conquered, past tense. He also brings understanding – He knows what we experience (Hebrews 4:14-16). What we bring is our trust. And in return we receive unshakable, assured, peace. Rather an excellent exchange.
Nowhere in scripture does it tell us that life will get easier when we accept the lordship of Jesus… but it does tell us what we should expect and what we do receive. By reading scripture we build ourselves up by knowing who we are and how we can meet the challenges that we face. Life is not made easier, but we do receive the strength to… stand! (Ephesians 6:11-18)
There are other scriptures that speak of our life in this world that should also encourage us, most notable James 1:2-8. Actually, the more I think about ‘free ride’ we do experience this in the now every time we stand on the scriptures in John, Hebrews, Ephesians, and James. They give us our defense necessary to be effective in our world. We aren’t here on a free ride but when we consider our equipping then we have everything we need to be victorious and successful!
