Would you risk your job, your relationships, your money, your life? Following Jesus is not safe. It’s also not synonymous with pursuing the “American Dream.” So, what is it like to follow Jesus? It’s risky! Sometimes it’s downright dangerous. Once, I heard a friend of mine talk about the fact that following Jesus had cost him his insurance plan and his retirement account. I thought that he was a little nutty for giving up his security for God. I thought, God would never ask anyone to give up the “American Dream” for the sake of following Christ. That was before I gave up my security for Jesus. Now, looking back, I see that I was the nutty one for thinking that Christianity was safe. It’s not.
When you become a faithful follower of Christ, He will require whatever you are currently putting your faith in. You may have a choice or He may not give you a choice. He could come as a friend and clearly present His case or He may come as a thief in the night and upset your whole world. He loves us and will not leave us in our false sense of security. Get serious with God and He will get serious with you.
He is also extremely unpredictable. You may read this and be afraid of how God will deal with your objects of worship. I can almost guarantee that it won’t be the way you are thinking. I’ve never been able to predict His next move in my life. He is also merciful. If you go to your Savior in humility and ask Him to have mercy on you, He will. If you admit your faults to Him, He’ll help you with them in kindest and most gentle ways. If you are open, He will bring people into your life who will love you and help you. Christianity is risky but it’s worth the risk! The reward in this life and the life to come is so much greater than we can imagine. If we are willing, one day not too far from now, we will look back and be glad we took the risk!