Day 2722 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.

2 Corinthians 4:17 NIV

Because we know what lies beyond the final breath of these lives, we can endure whatever trials or hardships may lie in the way of our reaching that eternal promise.

You've heard it said that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. That adage is one that fits very well within the realm of faith. You see, there's little about this road following Christ that affords us comfort or tranquility. In fact, Scripture has warned us in many places and in many ways that this journey home will be one laden with challenges, struggles, and persecution. The path to eternal life is narrow and few find it because while it’s not hard to find, it’s hard to choose because it’s filled with discomfort and humility and a whole bunch of other things that most people in this world will run away from.

And so, as the going begins to get tough, we're seeing that some who have considered themselves to be believers have failed to strengthen their faith into a solid resolve that helps them endure life's tougher days. They have been led or have chosen to believe in this watered-down version of man-made religion that many have begun sharing and seeking in the effort to appease the depravity of mankind. They’ve chosen a path that lets them get by without having to call anyone to task for their choice to willfully ignore the sins that remain in their lives. They’ve chosen to seek their reward now through things like comfort or worldly success or social praise.

We've become so concerned about what's happening to us or around us at this very moment that we can no longer gear our lives toward what's coming later down the line. People want comfort now. They want approval now. They want popularity now. They want to do whatever they choose to do now. They want instant gratification, immediate results, and selfish satisfaction that brings them their "best life" while they're on this earth.

Foresight, hope, perseverance, persistence, and clinging to a distant promise aren't easy to do because they require us to forego the immediate satisfaction that we've been taught to crave. Going through trials and seasons of drought make it even harder to keep going. Watching friends and loved ones turn away their faith and even begin to make fun of us for clinging to our faith makes it even harder. Continually watching the world burn to the ground due to the rampant sins and selfishness of the masses makes it even harder.

All along this journey through these lives in this broken place, we're going to be tested. And rather than running from it as we instinctually would, we need to learn to embrace and appreciate it knowing that the testing of our faith does truly produce perseverance. It ignites a fire inside that will propel us forward through the hurdles and obstacles that still lie ahead. Learning to trust in God when it seems that everything is falling apart and we're losing everything we've ever known in order to keep following His narrow path is one of the most crucial lessons true believers need to learn.

That's because we're going to go through some seriously tough days along this road. As the world grows darker, those who enjoy the darkness will begin to fight more ferociously against those who are standing in the light of Christ beckoning people to accept His gift of salvation. The odds will swing against our favor as much of the world flees from faith and chooses instead to embrace the sinful yet instant pleasures that so many others are enjoying. And it's just going to keep getting harder as this place gets worse up until the day that Christ returns.

What I want everyone to firmly affix in your mind is that these lives are temporary. The trials and challenges and pain and persecution we experience here are also temporary. Now that doesn't make them enjoyable, but it helps us keep everything in perspective. While we will face misery and pain and suffering and hatred and a whole host of other things in these lives because of our choice to follow Christ, it's all temporary. And if we can keep that in mind, then we'll be able to withstand whatever trouble or trial may come our way.

While it's extremely easy to take our eyes off of the promises that seem to be years away, we simply can't do so. We can't forget what all of this is for, what all of this means, what all of it is pointing toward. Heaven is far too great of a promise for us to give up the chance to experience it just because the road to get there is bumpy and painful. Spending eternity resting in the love and glory of our Father is too great of a reward to trade it all away from some worldly comfort or social praise that are temporary.

And yet sadly, that's exactly what many are choosing to do. They choose to trade the promise of Heaven for the chance to build worldly lives filled with the creature comforts that many enjoy. They're trading the gift of the cross for the quicker gratification that's found in being comfortable here and now. They're taking their eyes off of the finish line and choosing to focus instead on how much easier they wish this part was to endure. And when we start seeking ways to make this life easier, we'll quickly realize that giving up on our faith is one of the fastest ways to find that kind of worldly peace.

So many things in life are a choice, and our faith is right on the top of that list. We don't have to believe in Jesus. We don't have to read the Bible. We don't have to devote time to studying Scripture and allowing it to prune our lives with its truth. We don't have to pray for the strength to endure the sometimes difficult will of God. We don't have to continually seek to rid our lives of things that are holding us captive. We don't have to spend our time thinking about Heaven. We don't have to talk to others about salvation and repentance. We don't have to share the truth. We don't have to do anything. It's all a choice.

But just know that our choices now have consequences that echo into eternity. Our choice to flee from faith in search of an easier, more comfortable, more peaceful stay down here means we'll have given away the one thing that's required to enter Heaven's gates. If we deny Christ, be it verbally or through our actions and choices, then we'll not have the relationship that our faith is meant to be. We'll not have the relationship that secures our salvation. And without that, we'll never taste the reward of eternal joy.

It's all just temporary. There's one sure thing about these earthly lives that we're living and that's that they end. We will draw a final breath of worldly air someday. And when that time has come, all the worldly things that defined these lives will be over. The success we found or lacked. The comfort we experienced or never knew. The peace gained from people liking us or the persecution we found in being hated. The lies we shared to appease the world or the truth we shared to try and help it. It's all confined to this world and our temporary lives within it.

So we'd better learn to focus ourselves on what comes next, because while these lives will end, eternity will not. And the choices we make now determine where we spend that unending portion of our time. Will you turn and run from faith when life gets hard? Will you deny Christ as the world ramps up the hatred of those who cling to Him? Will you let go of the promise of Heaven for the chance at making your time here a little easier?

Again, it's all a choice. Just know that while the narrow path that means a life of trial and hardship now leads to peace and joy later on. And the easy road that allows you to avoid worldly pain means you'll get your reward, but that reward is here and now, not later.

Friends, following Christ isn't easy and it won't get easier. It should be hard. It should be challenging. It should push us past what we can bear. Because it’s only when we realize that we can’t do this alone that we open up our hearts to seeking the One who has already done it for us. And the pain, the misery, the anger, the threats, the suck we'll face because of that choice to cling to Christ while many let go will only make the promise of Heaven even more incredible when Christ comes and takes us home. And experiencing that promise, feeling that joy, being able to see our Savior face to face and spend all of forever rejoicing in His presence will make all the trials and tribulations worth enduring.

Press on my friends. Don’t look for what’s easy, look for what makes you lean more on Christ. Don’t run when it gets hard, just press into Him and feel your relationship and trust in Him grow stronger for it. Just remember, we're heading for a reward that nothing in this world can come close to competing with! Please don’t trade that opportunity, that gift, that promise for anything else. The road home may be hard, but once we get there, all the bumps will be forgotten as the memory of those challenges is replaced with a peace and a joy that’s more amazing than we ever imagined!

#LeaveNoSoulUntold