I have a question for you (and primarily for me). Will you stay the course?

Will you be faithful when seemingly everyone else is taking the comfrtable and easy road? Will you stay on the straight and narrow road when the wide road seems so inviting and appealing?

Will you hold fast to your beliefs when it would be so much easier to compromise or just be quiet about certain aspects of the faith that aren’t so popular or politically correct? Will you believe all of Jesus’ words, even those about His exclusivity and what He said about Hell?

Will you love those who don’t love you back? Will you serve those who can’t or won’t ever repay you? Will you give of yourself even without the promise of a return in this lifetime?

Will you stop pretending to be perfect and be willing to admit your weaknesses? When you fall (not if, but when), will you get up and keep going? Will you see that the greatest and most lasting lessons you’ll ever learn come not from successes, but failures?

I hope you will. I hope you can say a resounding YES to each and every one of these questions. I also hope you realize all this doesn’t have to come out of your own resources and strength. Which leads me to one last set of questions.

Will you be weak enough to stop trying on your own and let God be your strength and do for you what you could never do for yourself? Will you allow the indwelling Spirit to live through you and the Christ within to shine through you? Will you come to the place where you know that all God wants from you is not your works or good efforts or promises, but simply you, surrendered and available to anything He wants.

Will you? Will I?

In Christ, we will.