Every day, every hour, every minute of our lives we have the opportunity to either say "yes" to God or "yes" to ourselves. That's why Jesus emphasized something I don't hear much about at churches these days - denying yourself: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). I think he found it necessary to say that because, while most of us want to do what God wants, we also want to do what we want. And that's where the problems begin.
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Or they make following Jesus sound like a piece of cake: that life will just keep getting easier and easier as I get holier and holier and put into practice the Five Time-Tested Tips and Seven Life-Changing Principles that the author has based his current book, seminar series, website, or DVD curriculum on.
But I find very few books that lay out the paradoxical truth of the matter - (1) following Jesus isn't always easy, practical, fun or popular because temptation hounds us every step of the way, every day of our lives, (2) through it all, God's grace and forgiveness are powerfully available and instantly accessible to everyone, everywhere, all the time. We live in the middle of a deep and rich paradox. Grace and truth, pain and healing woven through our world, through time itself.
The greatest saints of the ages have discovered something most of us haven't. Not only are they familiar with their own shortcomings and sins, they're also aware of the outlandish grace of God. By being mindful of both their fallen nature and Jesus's risen love, they're able to live on the escarpment of evil without constantly toppling over the side.
Steven James, Flirting With the Forbidden
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