At some point, we have to admit that serving God is a bit difficult. The challenge of having to live a life pleasing to God isn’t all that easy. Full devotion to God involves struggles, and even the most faithful Christians would attest to that. But is the struggle worth it? When I think of the command to ‘love your neighbors,’ even the ones that have wronged you, I tend to ask myself if God would forgive if He were in my shoes. There are times when I could cheat my way to something, and I ask myself “What would Jesus do?” We live in a society where serving God is uncool. We live in a society where to be considered a good singer, you need to have the voice of Rihanna. We live in a society where you have to be famous to be respected. Is it difficult? I think so.
Even Apostle Paul himself had struggles of his own. He said “I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it”. Romans 7:19-20 (NLT) If Apostle Paul can admit to having struggles, I think it is fair enough to say that we all struggle when it comes to following God’s commands. A friend that I highly respect spiritually once told me that he finds it difficult to serve God in New York. I laughed at this, but it is the truth. With everything going on in our environment, it is only the grace of God that is still keeping us going.
Before some of us met Christ, we were all living in a world of sin. The desire to please God was nonexistent. Even the good deeds that some of us performed while we weren’t saved had some motives behind it. Be it to make ourselves feel good or to gain fame, there’s always a motive behind our good deeds when we don’t know Christ. But now that we know Him, our lives ought to be different from the time when we didn’t know Him. Serving God wholeheartedly means turning away from things that come quickly; the things that satisfy our flesh. At the time of our salvation is when Christ takes away the power and urge to sin. Our old life is taken away, and we are made anew. 2 Corinthians 5:17.
When we decide to depend on ourselves and not leave everything in God’s hands, we become lords over our own lives. But when we lay everything down before Christ, and we die to ourselves, we then begin to see God controlling the course of our lives. And those that leave everything in God’s hands are always never left disappointed. It is impossible to serve two masters, as Matthew 6:24 tells us, for we either serve God and see Him do good works in our lives, or live for ourselves and keep living in bondage. It is only through the divine power of God that we can live a life that genuinely pleases Him. Living for God may be difficult in this day and age, but it is the most important decision you could ever make. I choose to serve God, and I hope you do, too.
Blazer_ Hugo Boss
Shirt_ Jos A. Bank
Bow Tie_ Brooks Brothers
Pants_ Express
Loafers are unbranded