Dear Rose Park,
As some of you know, Winnie was sick all last week. Being sick is never fun, but especially for a little girl who was so excited for her 4th birthday. She was sneezing and coughing so much that she couldn’t sleep which means the days were long amid the grumpiness and irritability of a little girl. So, Winnie was my sidekick last week (see the picture below). She came to church and watched shows on my computer. She drank lots of fluids and even snuck a few cookies from the church kitchen. This is all to say, getting sick is never convenient.
It never happens at a good time. It never happens when it fits best into your schedule. Being sick is always a pain. It always causes ripple effects in the schedule and at some level requires a sacrifice of time and energy.
In a similar way, following Jesus is almost always inconvenient. Following Jesus requires us to think of others before ourselves and serve a purpose greater than ourselves. We know this to be true because of the words and actions of Jesus. After Peter declares Jesus is the Messiah in Luke 9, Jesus responds with: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” All four gospel writers attest to Christ’s willingness to give up a life of power in order to serve all those around Him. Eventually, offering His own life for our sins. Following Jesus is never convenient.
Serving in the Kingdom of God is rarely convenient either. Helping our neighbors when they’re in trouble rarely occurs when our schedule is wide open. Cooking a meal for someone who is recovering from surgery or giving our time or resources to a ministry-partner rarely occurs when we have nothing else to do. Serving and following Jesus is almost always an act of sacrifice and therefore it is never convenient.
But convenient and joyful are not synonymous. Just because something is easy does not necessarily mean it is life-giving. In fact, many of life’s greatest joys come with some form of sacrifice. Loving a spouse comes at the sacrifice of an abundance of time alone. Caring for children comes at the sacrifice of an abundance of sleep and rest. Sticking by the side of a friend when life is difficult might come at the sacrifice of reputation or how others perceive you. Even traveling to visit family and friends for Thanksgiving comes at the sacrifice of controlling the schedule of dinner and dessert and games and television.
It might not be convenient in the present tense, but following Jesus and serving the Kingdom of God is the embodiment of storing up for yourself treasures in heaven. So, as you prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday might you also prepare to take the next step in your relationship with God. Might you prepare to pick up your cross and follow Him. Might you consider to give up a convenience in order to serve others in the Kingdom. And at the same time, might you anticipate the joy that will come when either conveniently or inconveniently we fully participate in the life of Christ.
Grace & Peace,
Pastor Mark
Photo by Tim Mossholder on Unsplash