²⁴ Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. ²⁵ For whoever would save his life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? Matt. 16:24-26 ESV

I just noticed something

When you start praying in earnest to follow Jesus, to deny yourself and follow him, even if no one else knows about it, you begin to see things change.

The world you inhabited becomes more distant as you approach Him. People who you work with will become more distant. Your current career will begin to reject you (And I think this is His way of telling you the prayer is being answered.)

Where you may have been a key player in your field, you are no longer considered relevant.

Part of this is a mystery, but, truthfully, part of it is because, as you grow more interested in following Him and knowing His word, you have become more aware how irrelevant your worldly work has become.

It is not just that your current career has lost interest in you, but compared to Him, you have lost interest in your current career; and it shows.

The thing to do in these circumstances is to recognize what is happening.

It is natural to feel rejection when this happens; and you are being rejected. Your current world no longer finds you relevant. But this means you are approaching Him and His will.

If you have prayed to surrender your will for his, there will be a change in YOUR priorities that others will sense. And they will withdraw from you, even if they do not know why.

Do not be discouraged.

You prayed to follow Him. You are getting what you asked for.

Don’t try to continue to find relevance in your old life. That is over, and is in the process of dying.

As you approach His answer to your prayer, you will find relevance in him. Don’t cling to the old familiar things. But be ready to be discipled into your new life.

Change is painful, even when it is good and necessary.

You are being rejected by your old world, but being invited into His world and will serve him for eternal gain.

The things of this world will pass away.

Did you pray for eternal reward and service?

Don’t be dismayed when the Holy Spirit orchestrates everything to accomplish that very thing.

You are not irrelevant to Jesus.

I love you in Jesus’ Name.

David Perkins

sammy.snardfarkle@gmail.com

Lets Be About it.