Have you struggled to follow God along your spiritual journey? I believe if we are honest, we soon discover that following God is not easy. Each of us has our own selfish desires that we must overcome and sometimes we fail. We may follow the Lord faithfully for a time, but we can become easily discouraged and want to give up.
Following the Lord is daily, and we need the Lord’s daily help to do that. Luke 9:23 Then Jesus said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.[1]
Samson Struggled to Follow God
Sampson is recorded in book of Hebrews 11:32 as a person of faith. But as we look at the story of Samson, we find major character flaws. He did not choose a Godly wife, was offended easily, took revenge, and was careless with the gift of strength God had given him. Yet, he is listed in the Bible’s hall of fame for faith.
Lord, Help Me when I Struggle to Follow You
Like Sampson we have many flaws and don’t completely fulfill the plans God has for us. Fortunately, we can repent, and the Lord can still use us even when we fall short. When we struggle, we need to ask the Lord to forgive us and ask for strength to pick up our cross and follow Him daily.
Jesus called for His disciples to follow Him. Many did. Some were willing to follow immediately while others had cares of life they wanted to tend first. Jesus told those with excuses to forget them and to follow. He forewarned them that following Him would not be easy.
Think about that. Following Jesus and living the life of faith in Him is not easy work. It calls for putting others’ needs ahead of our own, and it requires sacrifice. It may be exciting at times, but it is not defined by things that often attract us. He calls us to share His message and to bring change for good in a broken world that doesn’t want change. He calls us to live by doing what’s right, but there’s always resistance to that. It may be difficult, but as we follow Jesus, He is always with us. As we pray and seek Him, He will give us the strength to follow.
Have you struggled to follow God, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/faith-makes-a-difference-samson
[1] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Lk 9:23). Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.