“…You cannot say yes to the Spirit of God without, at the same time, saying no to many other things-this is simply inherent in the process of decision. So I’m not saying that living for the glory of God doesn’t cost us certain fancied pleasures and relationships which perhaps we want to hold on to. But I think we would do well to focus less on the cost of discipleship and focus more on the cost of disobedience-because it is disobedience that truly exacts a punishing cost from our lives…” (p.147-148; Talking with My Father: Jesus teaches on Prayer By: Ray C. Stedman)
I feast on the moments of communion with God; those exchanges of an everlasting love between a creation and her Creator.
As if the Cross wasn’t enough.
Those places in between the smaller destinations. The abysmal quiet in the cacophony of culture. The word of assurance seven months after a decision in the dark bewilderment.
Sure. I have atheistic tendencies to demand a sign for a wicked heart’s unbelief. Discouragement is the chief indicator that my eyes are off Jesus Christ; distractions are dead giveaways the Enemy is biting at my heels.
But more and more I find my ear tuned in to His heart, and less to the world’s voice. I take circumstantial risks to affirm the spiritual nudging in my heart, and I find my reservoir of confidence in hearing His voice grows. The circumstances serve as the toiling effort to show my own heart’s disbelief, bad attitudes, fear, and doubt; all indicators of where death needs to come.
Resurrection only comes after something dies.
Like the thin roots of a new plant, small steps of obedience have nourished my growing faith. Love rained down on the soil of His Word, as this little plant stayed rooted by His grace. What sprouted forth were questions that began to stretch out like leaves on a sunny day.
“Who do I love more: Jesus or this person’s opinion of me?”
“What do I love more: Truth or the comfort of compromise?”
“Where do I love more: Giving my life away or protectively pulling back to save it?”
“Why do I love more: because by His grace I am saved or because I want to earn some thing that is already mine?”
“How do I love more: by trusting Him where He is calling me today or by making excuses laced with pride, fear and doubt?”
I think of this quote from Oswald Chambers:
“Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him…It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God…”
Every day I have a choice, and the more lay down my life for Him the more Life He lives in me.
The Racheal Retort 
“Resurrection only comes after something dies.”
“It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out…”
Both of the above quotes are so profound. I think of a friend who died in recent years for the cause of Christ and how his family’s ministry grew exponentially afterwards. His obedience was not in vain for many came to know the saving faith of Christ in his death.
I also think of how difficult it seems to daily lay down my own selfish wants and desires for the sake of growing in relationship with Jesus. If it weren’t for His continual grace and mercy, I’m sure He would have done given up on me and my disobedient ways.
What a testimony of your friend’s life and God’s faithfulness in the midst of sorrows.