Day 5, Year 1 Would You Follow the Way of Eternal Life?

“But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'” (John 6:68 NKJV)

People could choose life because God has the way of eternal life, and the true way of life is given by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is worth noting that Peter’s response above corresponds to one of the challenges of believing in the Lord. Jesus invites those who follow Him to “eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood” (John 6:53 NKJV), only then would we receive His true life. Afterward, many people thought Jesus was crazy and stopped following Him. Jesus then asked the twelve disciples if they, too, were going to leave Him, and Peter responded as above. This shows that he valued Jesus’ way of eternal life more than the challenge of faith. This is the correct mindset and decision toward choosing life.

Jesus wants to be the Lord of all, what He says and does might not always conform to people’s will or expectations. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves: If Jesus’ will conflicts with our own, whose would we choose? Is it more important to walk on the path of eternal life, or to seek people or things that suit our wills? In the end, we have to decide whether eternal life or our wishes or dreams are more desirable.

Indeed, after we choose His life, life on earth won’t always be smooth sailing in the long run. Many believers even feel that life has become harder after conversion. One reason is that Jesus wants to put us to the test of sincerity, tenacity, and commitment. Those who choose life and believe in the Lord, therefore, usually have to overcome quite a lot of challenges and difficulties. Furthermore, Jesus tests us on our reliance on Him. In the calm season, people might sail smoothly and pray less. When a storm is raging, do we truly believe in Him, believe that He will help and save us? If we do not rely on the Lord in times of difficulty, who would we rely on in prosperity?

Reflection questions:

1) Is obeying Jesus and walking on the path of eternal life the paramount and consistent desire of your heart?

2) If believing in Jesus would cause you more difficulties ahead, are you still willing to follow Him with steadfast determination? Why?