“Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’” – Acts 21:13
Truly following Jesus is never easy, but what about when you know that genuinely hard times lie ahead of you? Will you follow then?
Paul gives us an incredible example and perspective. As he traveled to Jerusalem, he knew that something difficult lay ahead – prison and possibly death. His Christian friends wept and begged him not to go. Many of us would likely feel the same way. However, Paul understood the infinitely bigger eternal perspective. He understood that his disciple making, gospel proclaiming work lay before him and passed through fire. So he was willing and committed to moving forward into that fire.
Paul understood that God’s glory and the greater good of His kingdom lay in his journey to Jerusalem. Though Paul didn’t know the details or the outcome, he knew that the vital work of seeking and saving the lost for Jesus required him to keep going into that uncertain and difficult future. So he went. He took up his cross, denied himself, and followed Jesus.
Because Paul did, he had the opportunity to preach to high officials and share the gospel with countless people from Jerusalem to Rome itself. Quite often the glorious work of God lies not in avoiding persecution, struggle, or suffering, but in faithfully stepping into those things with hearts prepared to give everything for the Savior Who gave everything for us!