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You’d think that pleasing God would lead to success and luxury. But you’d be wrong.
There’s a common myth that Christian faith is a fast track to success and joy, but if Jesus is our example, we see that even perfect obedience is not without suffering. What Jesus shows us isn’t a way to escape, but rather, he shows us how to live in the midst of our pain and suffering. We are gracious anyway. We love anyway. We forgive. We are healers, not hurters. Let me show you what I mean.
“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days,..” (Mark 1:9–12, NIV)
God said, “I love you, and you please me.” And then God sent him into the desert! Wow. Cool. That’s how you want to be rewarded, right? Well, me neither.
Matthew adds this bit of insight to the story: “After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” (Matthew 4:2, NIV)
Here’s the thing. Your covenant with God isn’t that if you choose to obey him, he’ll make your life easy. Your covenant with…