2 Corinthians 6

Verses 4-10, "Rather, as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: in great endurance; in troubles, hardships and distresses; in beatings, imprisonments and riots; in hard work, sleepless nights and hunger; in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love; in truthful speech and in the power of God; with weapons of righteousness in their right hand and in the left; through glory and dishonor, bad report and good report; genuine, yet regarded as impostors; known, yet regarded as unknown; dying, and yet we live on; beaten, and yet not killed; sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; poor, yet making many rich; having nothing, and yet possessing everything."

The truth of what it means to be a follower of Jesus is that there is a duality of where we live, not how we live, but where. There are going to be great days of rejoicing and celebrating, but there will also be days that are filled with tears. Both sides of the emotional spectrum will be encountered. The one that gets to me the most is "having nothing, and yet possessing everything." That's how I came to know Jesus - as I saw that lived in a Jamaican in 1989. I can read all of these words from Paul and I can even experience them in some small way, but I think I get the last one the most. It changed the trajectory of my life forever.

I love being a follower of Jesus. Sometimes it is the most difficult thing to be and I hurt so much, but it is so worth it. God's promise is "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." That is what I want to be the descriptor of my life - I am one of God's people; He walks with me and I walk with Him.