– Isaiah, called as a prophet, died being sawn in half.

– Peter, called as an apostle, died being crucified upside down.

– John the Baptist, whom Jesus called the greatest man born of all women, had his head put on plate. 

– A man who sensed the Lord telling him to open a business, ends up closing his doors just two years later. 

– A millionaire turned missionary leaves his old life behind and struggles this very hour to rub even two pennies together. 

– A woman obeys the whisper of the Spirit to adopt a teenager discovers his continuous addiction to drugs which eventually takes his life.

– Jesus, the very Son of God, obeys His Father yet dies on a cross. 

Sometimes we believe a lie that obeying God always results in a trouble-free and fairy-tale life. Sometimes we have unrealistic expectations of what God is going to do through our obedience and it can leave us feeling disappointed and confused. Maybe I’m the only one.

When the God who’s “plans are to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us a hope and a future” asks us to obey a word which leads to hardship, how should we respond? What do we do when our obedience leads us to a place of loss?

These are tough questions, but the answer lies in Hebrews 12:2:

“…because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated at the right hand of the throne of God”. 

Three lessons we learn from the example of Jesus:

1. Focusing on the long-term and eternal implications of our obedience is what ultimately matters. In the final analysis, you ALWAYS win when you obey, even if it looks like it leads to failure. 

2. Obedience is for us and for the betterment of the world. When we can’t see the fruit of our obedience in our own lives, it is often produced in the lives of others.

3. Failure and hardship are often bridges which connect obedience to promises. The Father’s promise to give supreme authority to Christ hinged upon His faithfulness in hardship.

Do not be discouraged, but keep your eyes fixed and rest in our Heavenly Father who has your absolute best and ultimate good in mind. Faithfully endure hardship in obedience, knowing that greater joy and a brighter future awaits.