There's a lie afoot in the Church that I've noticed in the past few years, and it's this: If life is hard, you're probably walking outside of God's will.

And it's so fascinating to me, because this idea smacks of the old lie that prevailed in Jewish thought during Jesus' time on earth: If you're physically unwell, you must have sinned (John 9:2, for example).  

Of course, we today would agree that, obviously, just because someone is born with some kind of a disability or because they have a chronic illness, that is absolutely no cause to presume on their standing before God. 1) That's not our place; God is the just judge, and 2) We live in a fallen world where terrible things happen to all kinds of people. Rain falls on the just and the unjust, alike, right? (Matt. 5:45).

And yet today, we've got our own brand of unbiblical spiritual dichotomy that seems to prevail in our current, comfort-accustomed culture: If it requires a sacrifice, it ain't the right fit.

Surely, this wariness toward the call to sacrifice for the assignment God is placing on your life comes from a good desire to serve healthy, to avoid burnout, and to respect the boundaries of others. But have we taken it too far? Are we so aware of our ability to manage our lives in the relative safety of America today that we have forgotten that the high call of a disciple is to come and die?

‍^"Then [Jesus] said to them all: 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?'" (Luke 9:23-25).

Would the first followers of Jesus look at our self-protective Christian culture today with as much consternation as we look at their assumptions regarding sickness and sin? Would they cock their heads at our aversion to sacrifice, dubious as to what part of Jesus' call we found confusing?  

And don't get me wrong, friends, I hate this. In part, the idea of sacrifice sounds terrible. I want to have complete autonomy - I want control over my life so I can make it as comfortable as possible - don't you?  

But it just doesn't line up. And to tell you the truth, what I've tasted of a weak, half-hearted buy-in to the ways God is moving through his people is about as foul-tasting as weak coffee. It just isn't the real thing! It isn't how it was supposed to be. And sure, perhaps coffee is an acquired taste, but once you've tasted it, the real thing just hits different, doesn't it?  

Perhaps you'll find the same to be true when you allow enough skin in the game to feel the burn of sacrifice. Should we uphold healthy boundaries? Yes. Should we be mindful of the difference between a good thing and something God is actually calling me to? Yes! Should we be wise and faithful stewards of our families and our days to honor God in all areas of our lives? Yes!!  

But hear me - to ask your family to sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom is NOT unloving. To sacrifice yourself for the sake of the Kingdom does not inherently mean you are living outside of God's will. Just because life is hard, does not mean it's bad. If my first Christian brothers and sisters stepped into the lion's arena, and if my Chinese Christian brothers and sisters today worship silently to avoid being detected, I too can do hard things - not just for the sake of doing hard things - but because in that space, I must forsake that familiar habit of relying on my own strength, and instead I must yield to HIS provision, strength, and security. And that is truly the best space I can ever exist in - whatever level of sacrifice it requires.

What if a life of comfort was never the goal for us? What if the high call of sacrifice was the very space where God knows his children need him most and therefore depend on him most completely? How is he calling you to meet him there today?  

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May Paul’s words that encouraged the Philippian church speak to your soul today, too: "I’m not there yet, nor have I become perfect; but I am charging on to gain anything and everything the Anointed One, Jesus, has in store for me—and nothing will stand in my way because He has grabbed me and won’t let me go. Brothers and sisters, as I said, I know I have not arrived; but there’s one thing I am doing: I’m leaving my old life behind, putting everything on the line for this mission. I am sprinting toward the only goal that counts: to cross the line, to win the prize, and to hear God’s call to resurrection life found exclusively in Jesus the Anointed" (Phil. 3:12-14, VOICE).