I Thought It Was Easy Serving God

What it means to walk with the Lord

In the early stages of my spiritual walk with God, I thought that it would be easy.

I know I should have known better. After all, aren’t we Christians reminded of Christ’s suffering whenever we look at the cross?

But I guess the initial excitement and the joy of it all made me forget about the hardships that come along with our spiritual growth. It is like falling so madly in love that we don’t care how painful the journey could be later on.

It’s not as though I haven’t been a Christian all my life. I was baptized as a baby. I grew up being taught the Catholic faith. I even studied in an exclusive Catholic school for girls.

But there was that particular time as I got older when I had a deeper realization about my faith.

During that time, I felt so much closer to God. I came to know Him like I’ve never known Him before! That part of my life was so unforgettable that I have written two books about it. (One was “My Journal on God’s Love”, which I give for free for my paid subscribers. The other book is titled “To Love an Invisible God.” In this book, I discussed more about the stages of our relationship with God as well as the proofs by which we discover God’s existence.)

It was along that time when I was able to confirm my mission as a Catholic writer.

I wanted to write about God’s love. And I wanted my writings to be a source of comfort and strength to those who are losing hope in their lives.

Everything seemed so perfect that I felt as though I was already in paradise with Him. Even if I had to give up my job as an Auditor, I felt satisfied to live a simple life.

It was only later on that I learned what walking with God truly means. That it isn’t only about the good times. And it isn’t only about the spiritual sweetness and consolation.

Walking with God also means accepting the hard times.

It means enduring times of spiritual dryness. And yes, it also means financial and physical hardships.

God may bless us with sweetness at the start of our spiritual journey, but He slowly leads us into deeper communion with Him throught the trials we experience in life.

How far along would you walk with God when it’s no longer easy or comfortable to do so?

What is love if not refined and purified through suffering?

To serve God is not only to be with Him when He preaches with power and when He heals the blind, the deaf and the lame. It is to be with Him when He starts to sweat blood in agony. It is to endure seeing your suffering Lord at the foot of the cross!

Here are some Bible verses that truly reflected this message for those who wanted to serve the Lord:

“My child, when you come to serve the Lord,
prepare yourself for trials.
Be sincere of heart and steadfast,
and do not be impetuous in time of adversity.
Cling to him, do not leave him,
that you may prosper in your last days.
Accept whatever happens to you;
in periods of humiliation be patient.
For in fire gold is tested,
and the chosen, in the crucible of humiliation.
Trust in God, and he will help you;
make your ways straight and hope in him.
You that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy,
do not stray lest you fall.
You that fear the Lord, trust in him,
and your reward will not be lost.
You that fear the Lord, hope for good things,
for lasting joy and mercy.
Consider the generations long past and see:
has anyone trusted in the Lord and been disappointed?
Has anyone persevered in his fear and been forsaken?
has anyone called upon him and been ignored?
For the Lord is compassionate and merciful;
forgives sins and saves in time of trouble.”
- Sirach 2:1-11

It may not be an easy path, but the Lord is faithful. He will carry you through the most difficult times and help you to come out of it with deeper love and stronger faith in Him.

To be a blessing to others, we must first allow the Lord to bless us. And His blessing often come through a difficult journey that will equip us with wisdom, compassion and spiritual maturity.

Sometimes He even allows us to stumble and to face many temptations so that we may grow in humility and trust Him more.

However hard the journey, it will always be worth it in the end. For as long as God is with you, trust His hand to lead the way.

“Tell them that no soul that has called upon My mercy has been disappointed or brought to shame.” - Jesus to St. Faustina (Divine Mercy In My Soul)

TO LOVE AN INVISIBLE GOD is a book that will take you on a journey of discovery and love. Through personal experience and references from the saints and classic books, learn the various stages of one’s relationship with God as well as the purpose for each season in our spiritual life.