Lord, I realize that to be a follower of Jesus Christ I must feel the point of the sword. The prophecy of Simeon to Mary, “A sword will pierce even your own soul” (Luke 2:35), is true of anyone who is willing to let Christ be formed in him.
The pain of following You, Lord, is not merely rejection by the world or even by my loved ones. It is the rejection of self. The other kinds of pain—those caused by men—are easily borne because You are my comfort and Companion. But the pain of self-rejection is one that has no antidote. The very cure for that pain, Jesus Christ, is the One who allows the pain in the first place. Therefore, there is nothing to do but bear the growth of Jesus in me.
The pain of the sword point is a lifelong experience, since self is always with me and will fight bitterly every attempt to put it to death. My nature sometimes cries out strongly for expression, whether lust or revenge or greed, and this expression runs up against the sword point of Jesus. The pain of Jesus is the pain of an alternative: I cannot have Jesus and my sinful desires growing in line at the same time!
The only consolation I have in this painful battle is the same one Mary had—bringing Jesus to birth is worth it! To see Him “formed” in me and thus visible to someone else is worth all the anguish. To see Him loved, worshiped, and accepted by others, as Mary eventually did, is my ultimate delight and joy. “Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will bring it to pass” (1 Thessalonians 5:24) is the word for me today, as I quaver at such a high vocation as letting Christ be formed in me.
“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Philippians 1:29).
Daily with the King 