True disciples of Jesus seek to live a life that looks just like Jesus. Indeed, God’s Word commands us to walk just as Jesus walked, to live just as He did. (1 John 2:6; Ephesians 5:1-2) And yet somewhere along the line we got the idea that Jesus calls us to be happy. Jesus was called the Man of Sorrows. (Isaiah 53:3) Does that sound like He was living a life of happiness, health, and wealth?
Any preacher promising that Jesus wants you to live your best life now is ignorant of what the Word of God teaches. Jesus came to suffer and also promised us we would suffer in this life. (Isaiah 53:4-5; John 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:12) Following Jesus is about obedience, not autonomy; sacrifice, not accumulation. Our Lord promised to give us life to the fullest, but we won’t find that fullness until we reign with Him in His eternal Kingdom. (John 10:10; Revelation 22:1-5)
Happiness in this broken-down and sinful world will always be temporary and fleeting. Pursue it if you will, but you will never find true happiness outside of Christ. I know this because He created us to be in communion with Him, not to waste our lives on the pleasures of this world. (Acts 17:27-28; Psalm 16:11) If you find all you want in this life, you must understand that it will be at the cost of your eternal soul. (Mark 8:36-37; Luke 12:16-21) Knowing that, why would you waste another minute desiring what can only kill you? It’s a bit masochistic.
We should not assume that because Jesus was called the Man of Sorrows, we will never experience joy in our lives. But I think we can discern that life as a follower of Christ will not be the easiest life. Walking like Jesus means traveling on a rocky road. (Matthew 7:13-14; Luke 9:23) The world will hate us (John 15:18-20), our families will misunderstand us (Matthew 10:34-36), and we will have to set aside our selfish dreams and desires. (Luke 9:23; Galatians 2:19-20) When your life is all about Jesus, living in this world will be painful, awkward, and never seem comfortable. That’s because we weren’t made for this world. (John 17:14-16; 1 Peter 2:11) Our life and hope are in a world yet to come. (Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 13:14)
For this reason, we must live each day with our focus on things above, not here on earth. (Colossians 3:1-2) If we keep our eyes on Heaven, we’ll never be disappointed when things don’t go our way. This world only matters in that we use our time here to spread the gospel to as many as we can. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15) There’s no hope in this life, and we can see the desperation all around us. We must give them the hope of Christ so they too can understand what it means to live a full and abundant life. (1 Peter 3:15; John 10:10)
Jesus was the Man of Sorrows, so don’t expect a life of balloons and roses. The road will be tough, but the destination will be more than worth it. (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18) What makes this life bearable is understanding our mission and ultimate destination. No matter how many terrible things might happen to us, we know every struggle and sadness is temporary. (2 Corinthians 4:17-18; James 1:2-4) There will come a day when Jesus will wipe every tear from our eyes, and we will understand the reason behind all the pain. (Revelation 21:3-4; 1 Corinthians 13:12) Don’t give up or lose heart. Salvation is coming, and we shall spend eternity with our precious Jesus. (Hebrews 10:35-37; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)