Walk In Your Calling

[servantconsultant]

"Walk In Your Calling" is a free course that I created at the beginning of 2024. Instead of directing you to the site where it was published, I will share the contents with you via this thread. I pray that it blesses you, encourages you and ignites in you a fire to walk worthy in your calling. I look forward to reading your comments and discussing your thoughts as we continue to grow together in Christ.



WELCOME

Thank You For Being Here!

Because of your commitment to walk in your calling, lives will be transformed. So, on behalf of the people of the world, who are currently waiting on you, thank you.

I won’t spend much time in this preamble because there’s much for you to unpack but here’s a little about me…

For the past 6 years, I have been walking in full surrender to God. When I wanted to go to university at the age of 18, He directed me to start a company. Six years later, I was directed to leave that company to serve you. The past six years of my life have been tumultuous, to say the least, but all absolutely necessary. During that time, I was stripped of pride, insecurity and people-pleasing, and clothed in the fruit of the Spirit. By the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, my current assignment is now to help you - not live an easy life - but a purpose-filled one.

Let’s get started.

 

[servantconsultant]

UNDERSTANDING THE CALL

“I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called” - Ephesians 4:1

Written in the English of King James (1769), Paul made a weighty request.

Beseech carries the Greek word parakaleō, meaning to implore. It’s the same Greek word used in Romans 12:1 when we are implored by God’s mercy to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him which is our reasonable service. This underscores the importance for us, as Believers, to:

1. Discover our vocation; and
2. Do everything to walk worthy.

Walking worthy is a continuous effort. It involves understanding the need for God to help us achieve, knowing that we will fail time and time again in our own power. It is a humbling walk, with much correction from God and the body of Christ to ensure that we remain on the straight and narrow path. But it is a worthwhile walk, knowing that as we die to our desires, plans and ideas of this world, we begin to experience life and life to the full.

Are you truly ready to accept the call?

What if it costs you everything? Your earthly version of success? Your financial comfort? Your friend group? Your job?

In John 6, Jesus laid the weight of the call on his disciples. Isn’t it interesting that He was now having this conversation after many of them initially agreed to follow Him? This signifies that there are layers to walking with Jesus - some of us choose to remain in the shallow end where we can still put our feet on the ground if things get too uncomfortable, but others decide to follow Jesus into the deep. Which are you?

Many disciples turned away and left Jesus that day, but twelve stayed declaring, "Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life. And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

So again, I ask, are you truly ready to accept the call?

Are you convinced that this world has nothing better to offer you? Do you believe that God will keep you all the days of your life until your purpose is completed?

If upon much thought and reflection, you have decided to accept this call, Let's Go.

 

[servantconsultant]

PRAYER

If you haven't already, take this moment to spend some time in prayer accepting the call. If you need help, here is a guided prayer:

Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your love towards me. I thank You for this life that You have given me and I thank You for the invitation to grow deeper in You and fulfil my calling on this earth.

Father, today, I accept Your call; understanding that it is weighty, understanding that it will cost me everything. Father, I can't do it on my own. Please help me to walk worthy of this calling every day of my life.

In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.


REFLECTION

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3 NIV

 

[FollowerofShiloh]

You should add a post or 2 on how to "recognize" your specific Calling. The reason much is not getting accomplished in the Body of Christ today, past 200 years, is because many have no idea how to "know" what they're called to be doing.

 

[servantconsultant]

You should add a post or 2 on how to "recognize" your specific Calling. The reason much is not getting accomplished in the Body of Christ today, past 200 years, is because many have no idea how to "know" what they're called to be doing.

Definitely will cover this! Stay tuned and thank you for your suggestion!

 

[FollowerofShiloh]

Definitely will cover this! Stay tuned and thank you for your suggestion!

Great News!
Looking forward to your explanation

 

[p_rehbein]

(excerpt from Article)

Wondering what God’s special plan is for your life? You’re not alone. Many people grapple with understanding their divine calling and purpose. The good news is that with prayer, self-reflection, and paying attention to how God made you, you can begin to unlock His unique intentions for your life.


If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer to your question: listen for God’s voice through Scripture, the counsel of others, your passions and talents, and pay attention to the circumstances and opportunities God puts in your life as signposts directing you toward His purposes for you.

(here)

How To Know What Your Calling Is From God - Christian Website

 

[servantconsultant]

FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance:" - Galatians 5:22-23

Even before we get into the details of our calling, Ephesians 4:2-7 identifies the way we should live, ie how we can walk worthy, and it looks a lot like the fruit of the Spirit.

John 15 tells us that the fruit of the Spirit comes from us abiding in God. The more we abide in Him, the more fruit we will produce. Therefore, the fruit of the Spirit provides a good measuring stick for us to take inventory of our relationship with God.

Let's take a deep dive into each fruit.

 

[servantconsultant]

LOVE

"Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never faileth:" - 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Love is an action word. It's hard work that can only be performed through the grace of our God. God is love (1 John 4:16). So when we understand the depth and width of God's love, it should become easier to extend love to ourselves and others.

The next three lessons will focus on God's Love, Our Love - Towards Ourselves and Towards Others.

 

[servantconsultant]

GOD'S LOVE

"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:14-19

O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure—
the saints’ and angels’ song.

The Love of God - Frederick M. Lehman (1917)

There's a stark difference between hearing about God's love and knowing it. When life doesn't make sense and it seems like the world is on top of you, knowing the love of God will carry you.


Longsuffering Love

2 Peter 3:9 shares that God is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any of us should perish but that all should come to repentance. It is that longsuffering love that kept knocking upon the doors of our hearts while we were sinners. When we could care less about God, His boundless love cared eternally for us. He looked into the future and saw you here today; not perfect, not sinless, but willing to call Him Abba (Father).

For those of you who are loving parents, I bet you would give the world to reclaim your son or daughter if they went missing. You would search high and low until you were reconciled with them again. The love of our Heavenly Father is much more awesome. We were never missing in God's eyes, Psalm 139 tells us that whether we ascend to the highest heights or make our beds in the lowest depths God is there. God always knew our location, we were just unwilling to come home. Yet He suffered long as He watched us; day after day, night after night waiting for His precious child to return.


Kind Love

Taking the same analogy from above, if your child was visible but unwilling to return home what would you do? Some of us might forcibly try to bring him/her back or intentionally make circumstances extremely difficult so the distant child has no choice but to return. However, that is not our God. Matthew 5:45 tell us that God makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and He sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Mistakenly, we might have figured that God negatively altered our circumstances to bring us to Himself, when in fact, we were just reaping the repercussions of our wayward actions while living in a sinful world. May God open our eyes to see that it was His kind love that kept us; during the drug overdose, after the abortion, while we were homeless, until we decided to come home.


United Love

Have you ever wondered if the Holy Spirit gets jealous when we're praying to the Father? How about the Father when we're worshipping the Son? It never happened.

In John 17, Jesus prayed that we, the body of Christ, may be one. Just as He is one in the Father and the Father is one in Him with perfect unity. In the Godhead, there is no envy, no pride, no self-interest. Every person knows their role and is perfectly supportive of the other because the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit truly understand that they need each other to be whole. 1 Corinthians 12 puts it this way, how can the eye say to the hand, I don't need you? Or the head to the foot I have no need of you? They simply can't. We have all seen or heard stories of individuals who have amputations, and while they still live, the absence of a body part forces them to rely on something or someone external to perform the same function. In the Bible, God gives us a beautiful example to help us understand the united workings of the Trinity and beckons us to join in.


Listed are only three elements of God's boundless love. Can you think of any others? If so, drop them in the comments below.

 

[servantconsultant]

OUR LOVE - TOWARDS US

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." - Matthew 22:37-40

Ephesians 5 says that husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. Matthew 22 says that we should love our neighbours as ourselves. But oftentimes, issues arise because, if we're honest, many of us don't love ourselves. And, as a result, there's nothing healthy that can be offered to others.

There's much healing to be done in all of us and the best place to receive it is in the Master's hands. As we take this step, I pray the Holy Spirit will unravel you beautifully to build you back into His masterpiece.


What Are You Looking At?
In September 2023, God did a work in me. I had spent my entire life insecure about my body image to the point where it became an idol - but I had no idea. After months of fasting, experiencing covid-19, constant bloating and week-long diarrhea, I was now the skinniest I've ever been in my adult life. Multiple times a day, I would look into the mirror spawning my muscle-toned arms in internal disgust and the truth is, I grieved my image.

It wasn't until God sat me down one Saturday and showed me how beautiful I was in His sight that I began to believe it. From the Book of Psalms 139, He said:

"I formed your inward parts; I wove you in your mother’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Britney, your frame was not hidden from Me when you were made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth. My eyes saw your unformed mass; and in My Book were all the days ordained for you, even before one of them came to be. How precious are My thoughts towards you, My child? How vast is the sum of them! Even if you tried to count them, they would outnumber the sand."

All I needed to do was choose to believe it. Even if I didn't immediately see myself in that light, I first had to believe that God's Word is true. Therefore, if God's Word is true, what God says about me in His Word must also be true. But that was only half the battle. I had spent decades hosting negative thoughts about my image in my mind. I needed renewal.

For 8 hours that Saturday, God sat with me and armed me with the truth I needed to renew my mind.

He taught me how to encourage myself like David did (Psalm 43:5).

He revealed the mighty weapons I have through Him to pull down strongholds and bring every thought captive into the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

He categorised what thoughts I should be entertaining (Philippians 4:8).

He encouraged me to let Him govern my mind (Romans 8:6).

And showed me how to guard my heart (Proverbs 4:23).

Four months later, I still look at myself in the mirror; but no longer with grief, instead, I have hope. I celebrate that even my tiny bone structure was not hidden from God - in fact, it was His intended design. Now, on those days when my eyes linger on my arms too long, I say a quick prayer asking God to help me see myself as His perfect masterpiece.

 

[servantconsultant]

REFLECTION

If you're honest, what are you looking at? Spend some time unpacking this with God.

Remind yourself, today, of God's truths about you:

"I formed your inward parts; I wove you in your mother’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. [Insert Your Name Here], your frame was not hidden from Me when you were made in secret, and skillfully fashioned in the depths of the earth. My eyes saw your unformed mass; and in My Book were all the days ordained for you, even before one of them came to be. How precious are My thoughts towards you, My child? How vast is the sum of them! Even if you tried to count them, they would outnumber the sand."


PRAYER

If you haven't already, this is a great opportunity to be honest with the Lord, Your God. He already knows how you feel. He knows your struggles and every anxious thought. Allow God to consume You with His love. If you need help, here is a guided prayer from Psalm 91:

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from afar. You carefully examine my every step and intimately know all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, O Lord, You know it all. You have me fully protected - from behind and in front, and Your hand, God, is upon me. To fully comprehend these things is beyond me; It is too high, I can't reach it.

Father, where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol (the grave), still, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You, O Lord, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret and skillfully crafted in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed mass; and in Your Book were written all the days ordained for me, before they came into existence. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. I thank You that when I awake, I am still safe with You.

I am imperfect, Lord. I need You every hour of every day for only in You, I am perfect. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts; see if there be anything in me that hurts You, Father, and lead me to walk worthy in Your everlasting way.

In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

 

[ForestGreenCook]

REFLECTION

If you're honest, what are you looking at? Spend some time unpacking this with God.

Remind yourself, today, of God's truths about you:

"I formed your inward parts; I wove you in your mother’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. [Insert Your Name Here], your frame was not hidden from Me when you were made in secret, and skillfully fashioned in the depths of the earth. My eyes saw your unformed mass; and in My Book were all the days ordained for you, even before one of them came to be. How precious are My thoughts towards you, My child? How vast is the sum of them! Even if you tried to count them, they would outnumber the sand."


PRAYER

If you haven't already, this is a great opportunity to be honest with the Lord, Your God. He already knows how you feel. He knows your struggles and every anxious thought. Allow God to consume You with His love. If you need help, here is a guided prayer from Psalm 91:

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from afar. You carefully examine my every step and intimately know all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, O Lord, You know it all. You have me fully protected - from behind and in front, and Your hand, God, is upon me. To fully comprehend these things is beyond me; It is too high, I can't reach it.

Father, where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol (the grave), still, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You, O Lord, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret and skillfully crafted in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed mass; and in Your Book were written all the days ordained for me, before they came into existence. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. I thank You that when I awake, I am still safe with You.

I am imperfect, Lord. I need You every hour of every day for only in You, I am perfect. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts; see if there be anything in me that hurts You, Father, and lead me to walk worthy in Your everlasting way.

In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

God's inspired scriptures are written to God's born again children as instructions as to how God wants them walk in his ways.

These instructions, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, that dwells within every born again child, are the only instructions needed to live an abundant life as we sojourn here on earth.

 

[servantconsultant]

God's inspired scriptures are written to God's born again children as instructions as to how God wants them walk in his ways.

These instructions, by the revelation of the Holy Spirit, that dwells within every born again child, are the only instructions needed to live an abundant life as we sojourn here on earth.

AMEN! Beautiful words of life.

 

[servantconsultant]

REFLECTION

If you're honest, what are you looking at? Spend some time unpacking this with God.

Remind yourself, today, of God's truths about you:

"I formed your inward parts; I wove you in your mother’s womb. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. [Insert Your Name Here], your frame was not hidden from Me when you were made in secret, and skillfully fashioned in the depths of the earth. My eyes saw your unformed mass; and in My Book were all the days ordained for you, even before one of them came to be. How precious are My thoughts towards you, My child? How vast is the sum of them! Even if you tried to count them, they would outnumber the sand."


PRAYER

If you haven't already, this is a great opportunity to be honest with the Lord, Your God. He already knows how you feel. He knows your struggles and every anxious thought. Allow God to consume You with His love. If you need help, here is a guided prayer from Psalm 139:

O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know when I sit down and when I stand up; You understand my thoughts from afar. You carefully examine my every step and intimately know all my ways. Even before there is a word on my tongue, O Lord, You know it all. You have me fully protected - from behind and in front, and Your hand, God, is upon me. To fully comprehend these things is beyond me; It is too high, I can't reach it.

Father, where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in Sheol (the grave), still, You are there. If I take the wings of the dawn, if I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, even there Your hand will lead me, and Your right hand will lay hold of me. If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me, and the light around me will be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You, O Lord, and the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to You.

For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Your works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret and skillfully crafted in the depths of the earth; Your eyes have seen my unformed mass; and in Your Book were written all the days ordained for me, before they came into existence. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would outnumber the sand. I thank You that when I awake, I am still safe with You.

I am imperfect, Lord. I need You every hour of every day for only in You, I am perfect. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts; see if there be anything in me that hurts You, Father, and lead me to walk worthy in Your everlasting way.

In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Correction, the prayer is taken from Psalm 139, not Psalm 91.

 

[servantconsultant]

OUR LOVE - TOWARDS OTHERS

Now that we have a greater knowledge of God's love and a healthier understanding of love towards ourselves, we can offer it to others.

Love is patient, not easily angered and keeps no record of wrongs - So must you be, towards others and yourself.

Love is kind, does not dishonor others nor delight in evil - So must you be, towards others and yourself.

Love does not envy, is not self-seeking, boastful nor proud - We are one body, bearing each other's burdens. When one hurts, we all hurt. When one wins, we all win.

Love always protects, always hopes, always perseveres.

In November 2023, I came across a video with the premise, "What does love require of me?" It highlighted all that Jesus did for us in His 33 years on the earth forever establishing a new covenant with us, who believe, and the Father. Therefore, what are we willing to do for others? Are we willing to reach out first to mend a broken relationship? Are we willing to love someone who appears unloveable?

Considering others above ourselves (Philippians 2:3) is vulnerable, and living in this broken world makes it even more terrifying. But that is where faith begins. Being led and guided by the Holy Spirit, we must believe that we can love selflessly while God fights on our behalf and upholds our best interests.

Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. We must first believe that He is who He says and that He is a Rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. Isn't it interesting that it always starts with faith? To love God, we must believe that His Word is true, to love ourselves we must believe that His Word is true and in the same way, to love others we must believe that His Word is true.

There are two types of Believers in this world:

Type A - Believe that God's word is true undoubtedly
Type B - Believe that God's word is true but says, "Lord help my unbelief" (Mark 9:14-27)

Whichever category you fall into at this moment, our God is ready to meet you and take you higher.

 

[servantconsultant]

PRAYER

Heavenly Father, if we're honest, we're scared. We are scared to love You and others vulnerably and selflessly. We're afraid of the cost of this call on our lives, God. But, God, Your Word says that perfect love casts out every fear. We desire to honour You, God. We desire to walk worthy of this call so please help us. Help our moments of unbelief. Fill us up with Your love so that we may walk in the fullness of faith apportioned to us. We thank You Lord for doing this.

In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.


REFLECTION
Song on YouTube - Steady by Cecily

 

[servantconsultant]

FAITH

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

Hebrews 11:1 gives us the definition of faith but verse 2, gives us the outcome - "For by it the elders obtained a good report."

Think of faith as a cheque, it's literally just a piece of paper, but it has been sanctioned to hold immense value. So much so, that you can take that piece of paper to the bank and cash it. Do you consider your faith that valuable? Think about it, the Creator of the universe, the One who holds all knowledge has given you a piece of paper called faith and directs you to go and cash it - at school, in your home office, at your workplace, in every area of your life. So what's stopping you?

Contrary to popular belief, faith doesn't always need to exist without fear or anxiety. Instead, faith provides evidence of what is greater in your life (Faith > Fear) and who is Lord of your life (God > Self). If God is Lord of your life, then even with butterflies in your stomach, you will still obey Him. God never shows us the full picture, He only provides stepping stones and asks us to trust Him.

Before Jesus performed a miracle, He would often say, "be of good cheer, be of good comfort" which in Greek is thársos; meaning "take heart, take courage, cheer up, be confident, be hopeful, be bold, maintain a bold bearing". Think about it, if these people already had a tank full of faith, why would Jesus say these reassuring words? This shows that it is not the absence of fear, but the courageous actions of individuals that unlocked their miracle, next instruction, breakthrough or newfound peace. In other words, they took their faith to the bank and cashed it!

 

[servantconsultant]

REFLECTION

Reflect on the stories behind these faith-based scriptures today:

Exodus 14:13

1 Kings 17:13

Matthew 9:22

Mark 6:50

John 16:33


PRAYER

Dear Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your love and I thank You for Your gift of faith. Father, give me the faith of Jesus. Let me be so assured of You that regardless of what comes my way, I will trust You. I pray, God, that You will fill me with Your Holy Spirit, giving me the courage that I need to walk worthy of this call on my life. Father, when I can't pay my bills, help me to remember that Your word says that all of my needs You will supply. Help me, God, to seek Your Kingdom, Your Righteousness and know that everything else will be added. Help me, God, to keep my eyes fixed on You, Jesus, the author and perfector of my faith.

In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

 

[servantconsultant]

HOPE

"And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity." - 1 Corinthians 13:13

Hope isn't listed as one of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 but isn't it interesting that it comes after faith in 1 Corinthians 13:13? That's because hope follows faith. While faith can increase and decrease based on a myriad of factors, hope is long-lasting.

Hope says, "Even if God doesn't deliver us from this furnace, we still won't bow (Daniel 3)." Hope, after thirty-nine lashes, numerous imprisonments and countless other hardships, says, "To live is Christ to die is gain (Philippians 1:21)." When all else fails, hope enables you to stand.

Therefore, we do not grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We do not endure suffering in vain (James 1:2-4). We have a hope! His name is Jesus; who left comfort in heaven, to become like one of us, was despised by His creation, mocked, hidden, beaten, bruised, crucified - Just for you and me, so that we might spend eternity with Him.

Friends, this life is hard - with or without God. But oftentimes, it appears even harder as a follower of Christ. When nothing makes sense, let hope carry you because our current sufferings are nothing to compare with the eternal joy that awaits (Romans 8:18).