A Walk With Your Father

“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
-Psalm 34:19, NKJV

I get mixed feelings while standing at the trailhead of a long climb. I know at some point my muscles will start aching and my backpack straps will dig into my shoulders. My knee and ankle joints will get sore. I might slip up, or get hurt, and my body will beg me to quit most of the way up. I know all this at the start and yet I still climb. So why would I willingly take a path that will lead me through hard stuff? Because I know what waits at the top, and the journey is well worth the price.
Every climber should be aware of what they will face before they begin. The same is true in life. We don’t often want to focus on the bad stuff in life, and generally we shouldn’t. But we also shouldn’t be unaware of it either. Living a godly life as a Christian can keep us from many troubles if we listen to godly counsel. But also, if you choose to be a Christ follower on the path back to your Father, you will face trouble (2 Timothy 3:12).
Although it can take a great deal of discipline to live out the Christian disciplines, the real test comes when you face obstacles and opposition. What do you do when you have an uphill battle with no end in sight? How do you choose to react when you are scrutinized? You will be tested. You will be tried. You will face those who are opposed to you and everything you stand for when you side with your Father. You may even be persecuted and face loss.
We shouldn’t have any doubt that following your Big Brother’s footsteps back to our Father will be difficult. But it is rewarding (Hebrews 11:6). Sometimes God delivers us from hardships, and sometimes through them. Sometimes He keeps bad things from happening; and sometimes His strength is what gets us to the other side of difficulties. But the real reward is not what does or doesn’t happen to us, but what we get both now and in the end.
Why should we live out this life as a Christian knowing we will face persecution? Because following Christ is the only way back to the Father (John 14:6). To be adopted back into our Father’s family as sons and daughters. Our reward is eternal salvation from a horrible end that we justly deserved. And the end of taking this path is to be with Him forever.

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Take some time to remember why you follow Christ. And if you haven’t been faithful, take some time to renew your commitment to living as a child of your Father. Like any good father, He stands ready to take you back and walk with you. You might not see all the way to the end now, but you can’t beat the view from the top!