Growing up in a traditional, Christian family, I came to expect to live a thoroughly conventional life:  marriage, family, career, settling down, buying a house, building towards retirement. Little did I know that circumstances, together with the Lord's guidance, would take me down a much different path.

Observation over several decades suggests that most American Christians likewise expect a conventional life, with all the material rewards and security that come with it. But where is it written that Christians will find a place of comfort and security in this world, a place where they fit in?

On the contrary, Jesus and the apostles showed clear examples of what Christians can expect. Jesus risked his life, stretched his physical and emotional resources to the limit, and had "no place to lay his head" (i.e., no property or substance, Matthew 3:20), depending from day to day on the hospitality of others. The apostles "left all," including friends, family, their homes and livelihoods (Matthew 19:27-30). They lived lives of hardship and persecution, and in the end most of them were executed or "lynched." Throughout most of the history of the Church, those who would follow the narrow path met similar fates, as many believers in foreign lands do to this day. Only in the United States, with few exceptions, do Christians enjoy the comfort and safety that American Christians take for granted.

What should be our expectations for living as Christians in the present world? Should we expect "peace and safety" (1 Thessalonians 5:3), the rewards of family life, material wealth, a certain level of comfort and ease? Or should we expect trouble on every hand, suffering, loneliness, persecution, lack of understanding, ostracism, hardship requiring endurance, hatred without cause, unjust accusations, even summary death?

In Paul's writings, it is clear that while he remained optimistic of ultimate success -- which no doubt gave him strength to persevere -- he both anticipated and was inured to hard labor and physical suffering. To him that was par for the course, since his Lord endured the same. The world system was in every way in opposition to spiritual principles, and a clash could hardly be unexpected. Having surrendered his body, in life as in death, to the cause of Christ, Paul was ready to meet whatever fate the Lord chose for him.

Most Christians today are unwilling to surrender their bodies to Paul's degree. The Lord has the right to call on any one of us at any time to make any sacrifice, small or great. We often conveniently fail to hear him call us to put ourselves, our time, our preferences, even our lives at his discretion to do spiritual service. There are great sacrifices to be made, because there is great work to be done. Total commitment was never meant to be the lot of pastors and missionaries alone, but for every Christian.

Jesus said we would be persecuted for his name's sake (Matthew 10:22; John 3:13, 16:2), and should even consider ourselves blessed thereby (Luke 6:22-23). We are to "sell all we have and give it to the poor," in attitude if not actuality, since acquisitiveness and reliance upon possessions distract us from full commitment (Luke 5:27-28, 14:33, 18:22-25). Likewise, we are to forsake ties of family and friendship if they deter us from following the Lord's will (Matthew 12:46-50, 19:27-30; Luke 14:26). Indeed, we are to "take no thought" for ourselves, including our very sustenance (Matthew 6:25-34). The righteous are to live not by substance and surety but by faith (Habakkuk 2:4 et al.).

We must realize that in seeking a pleasant, conventional life, we "nullify the commandment of God by our tradition" (see Matthew 15:3-6). We seek wealth and possessions, even though Jesus warned of the "deceitfulness of riches" (Matthew 13:22, see also Matthew 12:41-44, 19:23-24; Luke 1:53, 6:24, 12:16-21, 16:19-31, et al.) We seek safety and security, though Jesus taught us to live by faith. We seek comfort in marriage and family, though Jesus and Paul both commended and exemplified a life of total dedication through singleness (Matthew 19:10-12, 1 Corinthians 7). We pay greater respect to those who have more substance, who live a conservative, conventional lifestyle, who have "settled down" to raise a family, to pay off a mortgage, to fulfil our conception of solid citizenship. Others who would follow a different path, or have been by whatever means deprived of conventional rewards, are seen as undisciplined, unreliable, irresponsible, undeserving, lazy, selfish, weird, or misfits.

The total dedication to which the Lord calls us, however, requires a death to those natural things that we naturally desire, and therefore to the conventional life. Perhaps there are those whom the Lord squeezes a little harder. There are certainly some who are more affected than others. Squeezing removes the excess and concentrates the substance. All the prophets show clearly the marks of squeezing; and what is left, purified and concentrated, no doubt appeared weird and identified them as misfits to their society, as well. Yet they more than any others fulfilled the will of God through service. 

Cutting ourselves off from the desires of the conventional life removes hindrances to wholehearted service to our Lord. Lack of ties means fewer obligations and distractions which are carnal and earth-bound, and frees one to seek eternal, spiritual goals. While it might not be a sin to buy a home, to save for retirement, to marry, etc., such things might be a compromise if the Lord requires more of us. Contrary to prevailing practice, we have not the right to choose our own lives' direction. Some choices are made by the Lord at his discretion, others we make by permission. The truly committed seek only God's perfect will; the lukewarm seek permission.

If the Lord removes the trappings of this world and sends you down the narrow path, rejoice, for the Lord has reserved you for himself. Recall that the twelve tribes of Israel were all given their inheritance in the Land except the Levites, set aside in perpetuity to serve in God's temple. The Levites were given no inheritance on this earth. Instead, God kept them for his special possession, and the Lord was their inheritance.

If we share their vision and dedication, we may also share their reward.

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