pain or joy?

Lewis talks a great deal about how much following Jesus will hurt today in A Year with C.S. Lewis.

And it got me wondering...is Lewis missing something in his view on this? I mean, he's right that following Jesus means taking up our cross. It's hard sometimes...and painful.

But it's also delightful. It's fun and fulfilling. It's exciting and enjoyable. These aspects of following Him aren't really mentioned in Lewis's metaphors.

So that made me wonder...am I wrong? Maybe Lewis is right, and I'm just enjoying my faith too much. (I say this half joking).

So I went to Philippians. And guess what I found? We're both right. Read Philippians 2. I'm poured out as an offering. Lewis agrees with that. God works in me to WILL and to do His good purpose. That sounds like my view.

"I am glad and rejoice with you. And you should rejoice with me, too." Sounds like my view...But when you read the whole book, you see Paul doing "all things". Enjoying his life. Suffering. Rejoicing in the midst of his suffering. Having plenty. Having not enough.

So the take away lesson, I think, is that following Jesus, like Lewis says, is often painful. But He helps us along the way. He gives us joy in the midst of our pain. He enables us...And even gives us the DESIRE to do the thing that we must do, even when it hurts.

As a very wise person once said "Life is pain. Anyone who says differently is selling something." We're gonna find pain in our lives, following Jesus or not. But His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

We can do ALL THINGS through Christ who gives us strength.

God, thank You for giving us joy on our journey.