So, you’ve heard the good news about Jesus being able to take away your sins and you’ve acted upon it. Congratulations! You have begun the most important journey of your life. You are walking a path that the majority of people choose not to take. Jesus said, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14). Heaven is rejoicing at your decision, “there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent” (Luke 15:7).
Expect Opposition
On the other hand, someone else is not happy at all. The Devil hates us and will do all that he can to distract and lead us away from the narrow path that leads to Heaven. While the Devil is a powerful foe, we need not feel fear or intimidation. We should find courage from the Bible verse which says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 6:31). If we walk the narrow path, God is on our side. With Him as an ally, we cannot lose.
Sometimes when people become a disciple of Jesus, they can also find opposition from the most unexpected places. Sometimes, for whatever reason, family and friends may not be pleased with your choice. There are many wonderful blessings that come with being a Christian. Unfortunately, the decision to follow Jesus can also be accompanied by some unpleasant experiences that the Devil might throw our way. This opposition might come in the form of ridicule, temptation to fall back into old sinful behaviours, peer pressure, etc. Being a Christian is not always like lying on a bed of roses but the reward that awaits us in Heaven will be worth it all.
A man by the name of Paul who was a special emissary of God’s said, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us“. (Romans 8:18). In addition, compared to the guilt and weight of our sins, our burden will be light as a Christian. Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Dog fight
If you are like most Christians, you’ll eventually realize that most of your spiritual struggles do not come from outside, but from within yourself. The spiritual side of you wants to do that which pleases God, but your fleshly side wants to please itself. Someone once said that this internal struggle between our spirit and our flesh is like two fierce dogs who are fighting each other. Which dog wins? The one that gets fed the most!
Food for our spiritual growth
Just like a new born baby, Christians must grow to maturity. In order to grow spiritually, God has given us three powerful sources of nutrition that Christians must take advantage of if we are to make it to Heaven. They are,
- Talking to God (Prayer)
- Listening to God (Bible reading)
- Other Christians
By feeding our spirit, we’ll enable it to overcome the weaknesses of the flesh. We’ll examine the importance of all three in the following lessons.