Man up, Christianity is a daily battle

'“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; and ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it.' Matthew 10:34-39

As Jesus teaches His disciples even now, we have to be ready to lose all, even life for Him. This is not for the faint of heart, but for those committed to the higher calling of Christ. This is a hard teaching for some and overlooked by most. Are we willing to keep moving on through the fire for the sake of the gospel even if we know that it will be our last move? How many have been falsely accused and want to quit because of that? Now how many will be persecuted for following Christ and quit because of that? Unbelievers are normally the first ones to come for you with scriptures they don't understand. Believers even come for you with what scriptures they do understand when they don't know the facts. Condemnation, ridicule, slander, betrayal even by your own friends, parents, kids, siblings, and sometimes even a spouse can be your portion even if they don't have the whole story. And even when they do, this can be an issue. But this is when you are taking a stand for Christ that this suffering is not in vain. We must hold each other up and keep up the blood-stained banner. This suffering is real, but it can't last forever. Only God is forever and as we serve an eternal God, let us live for His eternal purpose. Let us not focus on the finite, when we are called by the infinite one. To God be the glory