Following Jesus means learning to receive His strength when we reach the limits of our own. There are times when life leaves us exhausted, discouraged, or unable to face what lies ahead. We may try to keep going through sheer determination, believing we must find the strength within ourselves to manage everything. Yet God never intended us to carry every burden alone. He invites us to turn to Him and receive the strength we cannot produce for ourselves.
Following Jesus means learning to receive His comfort, especially when life hurts and we do not have the words to explain what we feel.
Following Jesus means learning to receive the Gift of His Presence. There are times when we feel lonely, overwhelmed, or uncertain about the future, and these are times when we long for someone who understands us completely and will remain beside us when life becomes difficult. God wants to be there for us – He invites us to discover that, in Him, we are never truly alone.
Following Jesus means learning to receive His love, even when we feel unworthy of it. There are times when we look at our failures, our weaknesses, and the mistakes of our past, and wonder how God could possibly love us. I used to believe that I must first become better, stronger, or more faithful before I could truly receive His love. But the truth of the Gospel is the very opposite.
Following Jesus means learning to receive His forgiveness. Many of us know that God is merciful, yet we continually carrying the weight of past mistakes. We remember what we said, what we did, and the people we may have hurt. Even after confessing our sins, we sometimes punish ourselves by wallowing in guilt – believing we must somehow make ourselves worthy of forgiveness.
Following Jesus begins with learning to receive what we could never earn. God’s grace is His undeserved kindness, freely given through Jesus Christ. We do not earn His love by being good enough, working harder, or proving ourselves worthy. We receive His grace through faith. It is not a reward for what we have done, but a gift flowing from who He is.
Before we can give generously, we must learn to receive gratefully, because we cannot pour out what we have never allowed God to pour in.
Following Jesus means learning not only how to begin the journey of faith – but how to finish it well. It is easy to feel enthusiastic when everything is new, when prayers seem to be answered quickly and the road ahead seems clear. But faithfulness is revealed over time, through disappointments, seemingly unanswered questions, difficult circumstances and seasons when we feel tired or discouraged.
Following Jesus means learning to persevere when the journey becomes difficult. Just look back over a year or so … Faith does not mean that life will always be easy or that we will never feel tired, discouraged or uncertain. It means choosing to trust Jesus and continue walking with Him, even when (especially when) the way ahead is hard to understand.
