For most of us, life brings seasons of happiness. Some things are just plain fun. My children have it so good that when something is not fun, they wonder what's wrong with the world. When high school gives way to college, we anticipate a great adventure followed by the start of a great career. Then comes love and marriage, then the baby carriage.

But what happens when we can't get into the college we want, when the perfect job persistently eludes, or when the honeymoon romance becomes full moon horror, or when parental utopia is interrupted by the rebel or the infirm? Suddenly, adults begin to wonder what's wrong with the world. It seems like Jesus isn't serving us very well. That, of course, is the problem. We rarely have the guts to say that Jesus exists to serve us, but the assumption lurks around our spleen at times.

The apostle Paul was a man who understood two vital truths: First, he understood that Jesus purchased him with His blood. That meant that Jesus owned Paul. He was Lord over Paul. He was the commander and Paul was the obeyer. Second, he understood both the greatness of his sin and greater grace of his Savior. Jesus gave His life to purchase Paul's. The only reasonable response for Paul was to give his life in thanksgiving, even to the point of giving up his life.

Acts 21:1-14 portrays this vividly. Everywhere Paul went, the people who loved him begged him to avoid going to Jerusalem. They knew that tremendous harm awaited him there. They loved this man who had devoted so much time teaching and exhorting them for the cause of Christ. They couldn't bear the thought of him suffering more. But he couldn't bear the thought of failing Christ in order to avoid pain. That is the difference between Paul and most of us.

As the great hymn declares, love for Jesus demands our soul, our life, our all. If we give it all to Him, then we will serve Him faithfully no matter what He calls us to sacrifice. We won't let fear or friends stop us. Because we love Him, we will follow Him all the way to the cross.

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