I don't feel I am alone in dealing with the roughest part of following Jesus.
The roughest part of following Jesus is the taking up of our cross.
I have spent 41 years in the pastoral ministry, serving the Lord.
My family and I have fought many battles dealing with problems as I have served churches. I am not going to go into specifics, but there have been times, when I felt like the Apostle Paul when he wrote to the church at Corinth: "For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia; that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life."
(2 Corinthians 1:8)
Walking in Jesus' shoes on the path of ministry is a very difficult journey to take. Maybe some have had joy all the way, but I would be bold to say, that they would be few and far between. I can not fault my Lord and Savior in leading me astray, because He was honest and direct when He said: "If you're going to follow Me, there will be a cross to bear, there will be difficulty."
I don't feel that we as Christians wanted to sign up for that. But we need to remember that this is what Jesus signed up for, when He went to the cross, to deliver us from our sins. So really, what is our excuse?
"Must Jesus bear the cross alone, and all the world go free?
No, there's a cross for everyone, and there's a cross for me." GP
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