He’s Not Safe

“But the truth is, there will be harm and hurt in this world.  And living for Jesus only invites more opportunity and vulnerability to pain.”

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

Hi.  I’m Barbara.  I’m an enneagram 6.  I love knowing what the plan is, finding security in the familiar, and love, more than anything, to snuggle under the safety of a throw blanket on my couch with all the pillows.  Security, knowledge, and comfort.  These are a few of my favorite things.

However, as I read about and contemplate the lives of believers in Christ who came before me, I recognize a similarity among them.  Their lives were not safe and secure.  Nor always comfortable.  And rarely did it come with the knowledge of what would be happening next.  In the Bible, we can look at the stories of apostles, Peter, James, John, and Paul.  They put down their desires, their security and comfort, to boldly live for God.  Not only that, but their lives were also dangerous.  They were persecuted for sharing the truth about Jesus.  To the point of death or exile.  

Sometimes it is easy for me to distance myself, and my kids, from the followers of Jesus in the Bible.  They were then.  I am now.  The truths still apply to me, but not the danger.

God is revealing to me that this is incorrect.  And to raise my children in thinking that to follow Jesus is safe, would be putting them in greater danger than anything else.  I so badly want to pray every night that God will protect them from all harm.  That He will surround them with guardian angels, and they will never be hurt.  But the truth is, there will be harm and hurt in this world.  And living for Jesus only invites more opportunity and vulnerability to pain.  

So instead, I have been praying that He would protect their hearts from the evil one and strengthen them for the tasks ahead.

I don’t know what their future holds, or my own in fact.  But I do know that “in this world you will have trouble.”  It’s promised.  As followers of Jesus, there will be pain, uncertainty, persecution of some form.  “But take heart!” Jesus has overcome the world. (John 16:33)

Take heart.  I want my kids to be able to see the difficulties and danger and to take heart.  To see that while it isn’t safe to live for God, it is good.  Because He is good.  He is the only hope.  Jesus Christ lived a perfect life and died a perfect death to fulfill the law that kept us slaves, broken and unable to be in God’s presence.   There is no other way to the Father except through Him.  

Prayer: Lord, asking You to strengthen me is dangerous.  Because we become strong through difficulty.  But Father, strengthen me so that I might be useful to You in this life.  You are the way, the truth, and the life.  There is no way to God except through Jesus.  Give me courage, Lord, to live dangerously and boldly for You.  Help me to not be afraid but to trust that You are good.  As C.S. Lewis said about Aslan “Safe! Of course He isn’t safe.  But He is good.  He is the King.”  Lord, You are the King.  Help me to follow and obey even when I am afraid or in danger.  Help my children to walk boldly in faith.  Strong and courageous.  Amen.

Written by Barbara, a mom of 4 who wants to be brave.

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