Worth it

In many places around the world today being a follower of Jesus is tough.  It was that way at the very beginning too.  Deciding to follow Jesus instead of Judaism, instead of the Roman religion, instead of the Greek mythology, instead of Hinduism, instead of Buddhism and then instead of Islam immediately put that person in harms way.  So why choose to follow Jesus if it means being cut off from your family, becoming a target for abuse, persecution and even execution.  It is difficult for us in the western world to ready grasp the cost and pain of following Jesus and sometimes can cause us to wonder why would you.  For those who have experienced a personal encounter with the living Jesus, those who have felt his overpowering love and his undeniable presence, you know that there is nothing like it and that you would give everything for it – even your life.