Recently, I revisited a story in John Chapter 6 where Jesus begins to teach a large crowd of followers what it would really take to be true children of God. This took place right after Jesus performed two miracles by walking on water and feeding the 5,000. Naturally, He was a hot commodity for what He had done, but Jesus wanted the people to understand who He was. For some, He was merely their next meal ticket. For others, He was their hope for a change in their circumstances. But only a handful actually saw Him as the true Son of the Living God.

As Jesus began to pour into them and reveal their end of the bargain as a follower of Christ, the people became disgruntled and bewildered. If I can use my imagination, I believe some said, “Surely it doesn’t take all that to follow Christ. And if it does, is it even worth it?” The bible says that many of the people were simply confused and couldn’t digest what the Lord was saying. At the end of His speech, Jesus had turned off most of the followers who were already loading into their boats to go home. But then Jesus turned to His disciples and asked if they would leave too. But Peter said something that changed everything for me. He said, “Lord, to whom would we go? We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.” (John 6:68).

This point is so important as we make a decision to follow Christ. When we become Christians, God does not ever promise a bed of roses for the rest of our lives. Trials will come; things will happen that may just completely boggle our minds. We may feel hopeless and unsure of what our course of action should be. Sometimes, our faith may waver and we may grapple for some sense of control over the situation. But a true follower of Christ knows that in spite of any situation they might face, there is no other option than Christ and Christ alone. Our only job is to not give up on Him as we endure the process. The people in the crowd were not ready to endure trials. They simply wanted to enjoy the benefits. So how do we stay the course and hold on even when we don’t understand what God is doing?

I’m reminded of the story when the disciples were on the boat with Jesus and the storm came. As the storm rose up around them, the men became afraid. They panicked and even became annoyed with Jesus who was fast asleep in the boat as if nothing was going on. How many times have we gotten frustrated with God when He appears to be asleep in the middle of our storm? Well the disciples, who actually had a chance to walk with Jesus, still fell guilty of doing something we do all the time. How could this be? It’s simple: they lost sight of the promise. Before the men even got into the boat, Jesus said “Let us cross over onto the other side.” Jesus knew ahead of time that a storm was coming and yet He promised they would all make it to the other side. That’s why He fell asleep and was not moved by the threat of the waves. As for His followers, the storm consumed their thoughts and they forgot what had already been promised. Had they remembered the promise, they would have sought refuge and peace in the presence of God instead of panicking. In order to hold on and remain committed to Christ in the midst of our struggle we have to hold fast to the promises God has made to us. God has made promises to me and has changed my life so much in such a short time. One of the promises He made is that trials produce patience and patience produces hope (Romans 5:3). This solidifies His other promise that all things work together for the good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Therefore, in spite of my situation, I refuse to let go.