I went to a women’s gathering last weekend. About 60 women in a church hall talking about God and worshipping Him.

While I was there, I realised that a lot of my day-to-day struggles stem from the fact that I make choices based on what I believe God has told me about my life. Whether personal direction He has spoke to me, or biblical truth that I choose to stand on.

I remembered: My life is not my own. I live to serve and honour God and do whatever He wants me to.

That means being really purposeful. Instead of getting caught up in what culture does it requires e to ask God about what he would do.

To put this in context: When I became pregnant I was working full time as an online marketer.

As my baby-belly grew, colleagues, friends and family members began asking me about my plans post-maternity leave… “Would I keep my job and return to work, would I take a part-time role or would I become a stay-at-home mum?”

I struggled with coming up with an answer to this question.

And the reason is: My heart felt led to become a stay-at-home mum, but my world told me that we needed to have a certain amount of disposable income.

My God was telling me that it was time to quit my job. Yet, my fears were saying: “You need that disposable income.”

Now, hear me when I say: There is nothing evil about disposable income.

Hear me loud and clear when I say this one: God is not telling every mother to become a stay-at-home mum. (Mammas: You need to pray and find out what he is saying to you.)

But, what I want you to understand about my story is this: God was trying to tell me something that felt counter-cultural. It felt hard.

No joke: Being a stay-at-home mum has been the hardest role of my life. Yes, it’s the job that gives me the biggest, mega-blessing of seeing my babies grow. But, is also a job in which I don’t get paid, work 24/7 and regularly get covered in bodily fluids! Not easy!

There have been times I have thought about getting a paid job (I even asked my old boss for a small job once and just as he was about to explain what the job was… I declined!)

My point is: I had to stay true to what God had called me to do in that season. Even if it wasn’t easy.

As Christ followers we do have to stay true to our convictions, what we believe God says and the bible says, even if we don’t find it easy.

In Hebrews 11, the bible gives us a list of people who followed their convictions and suffered hardship as a result. It talks about a man named Abraham who was called to get up and leave even though “he did not know where he was going” (Hebrews 11:8, NIV.)

It mentions a man named Moses who chose to be “mistreated along with the people of God” rather than enjoy his life as a prince. (Hebrews 11:24, NIV.)

This is the bit that gets me though:

Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.

Hebrews 11: 36 – 38, NIV.

People faced extreme suffering because they chose to stick to what they believed, rather than letting culture tell them what to follow.

In this season, I feel like God is calling me to new things that are quite out of the ordinary in my world. Things that my friends with kids the same age aren’t necessarily doing. And, again, that is hard.

Honestly, I find it so hard to go against culture and stay true to what God has called me to. When I am faced with questions about my choices, all I can say is: “I believe this is what God is telling me.”

It’s hard because people can look at your choices and think you are making a criticism of their choices.  

But you can’t control other people’s reactions and offenses. I believe God has called me to one thing and if he calls someone else to another thing, who am I to say their way is wrong? It is just different. And that is O.K.

In John 16 Jesus warns his disciples of what will happen to them:

They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God.

John 16: 2, NIV.

He is telling them: People will think they are helping God by putting you to death.

How would you feel if someone said the above, to you?

In the same chapter, Jesus says:

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

John 16: 33, NIV.

He has told them that people who supposedly follow God will want to kill them and now he is telling them to have peace!

He then promises that there will be trouble in this world.

It will not be easy.

It is not going to be easy to stay true to what we believe. It was not easy for Jesus’ disciples to stay true to what they believed.

We might unintentionally offend people to the point where they want our heads on a platter like John the Baptist… (See Matthew 14.)

But we can take heart in Jesus because He has made a way so that we can spend eternity with Him.

In the bible, a man called Paul says that all of this suffering will seem small one day:

For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

2 Corinthians 4: 17, NIV.

It eats me up when someone is offended by my choices. It does not feel light or momentary. It makes me feel small and stupid.

But the gospel truth is that the things we are struggling with are nothing compared to what it will be like when we look Jesus in the eye and let him wipe every single tear from our dribbling wet faces!

The bible says:

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Revelation 21:4, NIV.

Jesus is real and his promises are true and if it feels like no one understands you because of the church you go to or the job you do, or the things you abstain from… take comfort in the fact that He understands.

And He has soooo much compassion for you that He is willing to serve you by wiping all of your tears away.

He had so much compassion on you that He was willing to die on a cross so that you could access heaven and eternity with Him.

In every situation, Jesus has compassion for you. He sees your suffering and He knows when you are staying true to what you believe.

Maybe this week you can take comfort in that about truth. Or maybe, reading this, it’s a relief to know that there are others out there that are struggling with rejection because of their faith, just as you are.

You are not alone.

Conclusion

Maybe, as you read this, you realise that you have not stayed true to what you believe. Let me say: that is a brilliant thing to realise! You can ask God for His forgiveness and make a change. It is that simple.

Maybe you read this and you feel encouraged to keep going on the path that God is calling you to.

Maybe, you just needed to remember that you are not alone. The disciples faced rejection and threat to their lives. I am here sat behind a computer screen, trying to live out my convictions on a daily basis!

Jesus faced the ultimate suffering by death on a cross. A brutal and torturous death so that we could live free. He is full of compassion for you as you stay true to His teachings.

Wherever you find yourself I pray that you will find that peace that Jesus gives each one of us, no matter what we go through. I pray you would know the comfort of Jesus as a friend that always listens to us and empathizes with our struggles and losses.

You are doing great!