So what do you think? In your opinion, what is the biggest challenge facing a Christ follower today? Okay, maybeit’s hard to narrow the list to one. Are there several you’d name? Maybe it made the list due due to personal experience or just a perception through observation. Regardless, I’d like some feedback from you. Please take a moment and comment with your one or your list of several. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
What is a Christ Follower’s Biggest Challenge?
August 12, 2013 // Posted by Brad Hoffmann //
11 Comments
It is hard to narrow the list down to one thing! I’ll share a few of my personal struggles:
Overcoming our selfish desires (i.e. – how we spend “our” time, money, etc.) and not truly putting God FIRST in our lives.
Forgiving others as Christ forgave us (seventy times seven…) !
Not “conforming to the patterns of this world” to or becoming “immune” to sins that are so common in our society today. For example, we hear so much nasty language on TV that words that used to make us cringe don’t even phase us anymore.
Wow, that a deep question for a Monday 🙂 ! I’m curious to see what others are struggling with and how God is speaking to them. I hope you have a great week!
I think the biggest challenge is not allowing biblical truths to be chipped away by well meaning fellow Christians.
It is hard to explain in writing (for me) but things like well meaning comments like “God will never give you more than you can handle.” Untruth. God will never give you more than HE will help you through. Truth. If WE could handle it why would we need God?
I’ve noticed a lot of little things. Such as claiming good/bad “karma” or “luck” as well.
Eventually if we go down this path, our faith doesn’t look any different than the world.
The hardest thing is allowing worldly things to come before God.
Sometimes we let good things like family and friends become more important than God. These things should be important to us but its hard to know when we’ve allowed them a higher place than God.
The Bible is full of encouragement and instruction for how to respond to trials, hardship and devastation. “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope”- Jeremiah 29:11; “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” – Psalm 46:1; “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved”- Psalm 55:22; “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” – Philippians 4: 6-7. Proverbs 3:5-6, Psalm 56:3-4, Psalm 57:1, and Philippians 4:13 are just a few and there are many more. For Christians, who believe His Word, seek refuge in Him, trust in His promises, praise Him and give thanks to Him for all blessings in the midst of trials, and who also pray and read scripture, I think it’s hard to live obediently and faithfully in the midst of heartache and devastation. I’m not talking about questioning or blaming God….I’m talking about truly trusting God with your whole heart and mind and translating that trust and love into daily living (action) when you hurt. What does it look like to believe with every ounce of your being in God’s Word and his promises and to get up every day when your heart is broken (or you are angry or whatever trial a Christian is going through) and live your life obediently with Christ’s joy and peace? After all, if our life is a witness to non-believers, shouldn’t we get this right? To me, this is a big challenge for Christ followers.
My biggest challenge is not truly putting CHRIST first in my life. Like most women today, I am a working mom and wife and am often juggling 2 full time jobs (the home and my career). In a day where women fight to be equal and rise to the top in their careers I have had to remind myself that this is an avenue satan uses to attack the home. my goal is to be a proverbs 31 type of woman. one who takes care of her family and is her husbands helper. unfortunately I have learned how time consuming it is to juggle both and in turn it has caused me to fall short with my relationship with Christ while trying to make time to uphold my role as a Godly wife and mother. I often cut my quiet time short because I am pulled in every direction instead of standing up and saying I need this time to spend with GOD. I tend to feel guilty when I don’t drop everything for my family but I should feel guilty for not upholding the most important relationship
This goes along with my second struggle which is not having enough trust and faith in our Lord. How is it possible to put all your trust and faith in a stranger? Sadly this is how I feel God is to me in hectic times…a distant stranger and at those moments I am ashamed to approach him. But have had to learn the hard way more than once that GOD is strong when we are weak. And despite the distance I create between us GOD is always loving
and merciful and willing to take his children back into his arms
And my 3rd biggest struggle is not being as forgiving and graceful as our Father is to us. I often times find myself hanging onto the wrongdoings of others and letting the sin of the world define us.
I recently had an eye opening experience happen. The church I attend had quite the scandal with not just one pastor but 2. Both pastors were caught in adultry. The most disappointing part was how the senior pastor handled the situation by not handling it and keeping it hush hush. I was so angry for months wanting to find another church home bc I had a hard time stomaching a hypocritical church leader. One who I viewed as bold and knowledgeable and just finished preaching an excellent series of sermons on the 7 churches and how it relates to today where we are too tolerant of worldly things. I couldn’t believe that he could stand up in church on Sunday and speak of these things on Sunday but would allow them to stay in our own church. The same feeling tore me up about the 2 guilty pastors… How could they be leaders of a church and give advice and then make the choices
they did. But somewhere in my anger and bitterness I realized that its not about putting my faith in the pastors or the church. I am not there to worship them. Like me, they are sinners too. They fall short of gods glory also and I am in no position to judge another sinner. Sin is everywhere and we all fall short but the
important thing is how we bounce back.
When I have fallen short the thing that has helped me is the grace and forgiveness of those I have hurt. so that
has been a challenge to do the same to those who have hurt me or my family with their decisions.
This goes along with my second struggle which id not
Thank you for the comments and sharing the challenges. I appreciate your comments!
Probably the hardest thing for me is simply living and caring like Jesus.
GETTING THE ME OUT OF ME AND GIVEING IT TO GOD. RONNIE
I think the hardest thing for me is waiting on God’s Plan and realizing that my plan is not really important and usually is not going to work anyway.
I have also let people be a discouragement to me in the past but now realize I am serving God and his will and not mankind, that takes a lot of stress out of your life right there.
I read the comments above and I think some people beat themselves up over things that they really shouldn’t worry about.
Jesus promises us peace and rest if we put our burdens on Him. It is truly amazing how much at peace you can be if you will actually do that.
He is right here with you no matter what your circumstances are and he is right there with you in your daily challenges.
Let the joy in your life be in Him and not in things of this world.
Christians biggest challenge may be “non-believers”…another may be taking care of our Christian Brothers and Sisters…another is taking care of family needs…GOD, our Heavenly Father, can take care of His children’s every need…
Thanks for the additional comments and insights! Definitely some good insight for further thought!