Joy, and walking without burden.

John 21:18-19

¹⁸ “I tell you the truth, when you were young, you were able to do as you liked; you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and others will dress you and take you where you don’t want to go.” ¹⁹ Jesus said this to let him know by what kind of death he would glorify God. Then Jesus told him, “Follow me.”

This verse doesn't seem to be a source of much joy for a follower of Jesus.  He says "Follow me" after telling Peter God will take him to a place he doesn't want to go.  This is interesting for many reasons.  This is one of those things Jesus says and is reverse of how we think.  We think it is when we are old that we will dress ourselves and go where we want to go.  Of course, speaking merely of the flesh that is true in many ways.  God tells us, however, that there will come a time for Peter--and for us--that he'll be taken to a place he did not desire to go.  Perhaps as Jesus prayed, you will say, "If at all possible, let this cup pass from me...".

There is actually a lot to be said about this passage in John 21, but I want to stick to simply the idea that we may go places we don't want to go, because God takes us there.  We are told what Jesus meant by this--He was speaking of the death Peter would die.  Peter would die a martyr.  I believe it would be a mistake to think this is a permanent state of living, rather than an acception.  If we think this being taken places we don't want to go is a permanent state of living then we will be robbed of joy unnecessarily.  There are many who think like this, myself at times as well, but I don't believe we ought to.

Consider the moment Jesus was speaking of where Peter would not want to go--Peter's painful death.  It was a one time thing.  It was not a life long, daily thing.  If you want to look into how he died, it was very painful and not to be excited about.  That said, sometimes we can be a bit masochistic in our thinking.  We can think being in pain is good, and that's what God enjoys is seeing us in pain.  As if our pain pleases God or something, and that just isn't right.

We can think if it's not hard, painful, or difficult... we must not be doing what God wants or we must be in sin somehow.  We think the things God wants us to do are always hard, and burdensome.  Though I do believe there are acceptions, I do not believe this to be the rule.  I believe the rule of living is much better than the acception spoken of in John 21:18-19.  The "rule of living" is actually better displayed in psalm 23, among many other places.  Or 1 John 5:3 that says "Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome."

Is there some place you are supposed to go, that maybe you don't want to go, where God is taking you?  That is very possible.  But, it's an acception to the rule.  I believe God'd heart is to walk with us in green pastures, and to give us commands that are not burdensome because keeping is how we love Him.  Let's not live like God wants us to live in pain.  Again Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Does there come a time in our lives where following God means doing hard things that are painful, and even things we don't want to do?  Yes, but God will carry us into those times.  We shouldn't live there, however, as this is the acception.  To live in this state or mindset that God wants us to be in pain, and if we're not then we're not following God would be robbing ourselves of the joy He really wants us to have as we walk with Him without burden.  Do we want Joy?  Don't be masochistic.  Don't think Jesus's burden is heavy, and don't think that His commandments are burdensome.  If this is the way you are thinking, change how you view God (repent).  If we aren't experiencing joy then I believe we need to learn what it means to truly believe His burden is light, and that His commandments are not burdensome.  When we understand this, truly, then we will have joy.