Barriers to Following Jesus

Super Bowl. Final Four. World Series.

Sports fans across the globe pick a potential winner. They study the analytics and use the proverbial eye test. The metrics seem to provide a sure path to victory for their team. And then they watch tirelessly as their favorite teams battle it out on the field for that prized golden trophy.

Then there’s the other group of people that care nothing for all the elation and excitement wrapped up in these professional athletes making millions of dollars playing a kid’s game.

We see one group who places astronomical value on a form of entertainment that is almost detrimental to their own relationships, finances, and careers. We see another group that abandons the entertainment altogether; calling it petty nonsense or simply showing no interest for this money-sucking blackhole of sports. While yet another group gets caught in the middle on the fence not sure which way to turn.

Religion is the same way. There are religious fanatics. Some that make the rest of us feel uncomfortable. They’re all out. It’s kind of admirable from a distance. But the closer they get the more frantic and nervous we become.

Then there are others who absolutely want nothing to do with it. They see religion as a crutch. Or an incessant root cause for controversy. They believe religion sparks a war of words layered with vain intellect and empty philosophical ideology.

But then there’s this other group that watches both sides trying to figure out where they land on the issue of religion. Sure, they may want nothing to do with religious fanaticism but they don’t necessarily appreciate belligerent antagonism either. They’re caught in the middle of the debacle of religion.

What it all boils down to, really, is not fanaticism or antagonism. What it really boils down to is how we see who the Bible calls the Savior of the world, Jesus, and how we see ourselves.

Do we need Jesus? I would say yes. So why doesn’t everybody see this issue of following Jesus the same way?

Here are five barriers to following Jesus:

I’m not that bad. Many people live in this world of checks and balances; weighing the good and the bad. They believe if the good outweighs the bad then they’ll be fine at the end of their life. The real problem is this false narrative of some comparison game where they use others’ deeds as the measuring stick of eternal success. They fail to see the standard isn’t set by others, but the standard is established by the perfect Son of God.

I’m not ready. A lot of people believe religion, even Jesus, gets in the way of their happiness and future plans. People try to use religion as a bargaining chip for some future endeavor; when I’m older, when I get married, when I have children, etc. Forfeiting our self-made plans and giving our lives to Jesus will never find the right time in the landscape of temporal pleasures and the fortunes of this world.

I can save myself. Many people believe they are invincible. They would never say it but they’re confident that at the end of the day they have what it takes to guarantee they have what it takes to get to heaven. The problem is a depraved heart will always see the eternal decision to surrender to Jesus as an interference to their own savior mentality.

It’s not worth it. Most people understand the risk/reward paradigm for almost every facet of life. And they simply do not see the immediate value of following Jesus compared to the tremendous cost it will place on their lives. Stories of sacrifice and commitment aren’t appealing. What’s appealing is momentary pleasure, professional success, personal autonomy, and financial security. Following Jesus may require forsaking some temporary treasures in this life and embracing the value of the eternal treasures and riches of Christ.

It’s not for me. Religion equals rules. It’s narrow-minded. It’s a crutch for the weak-hearted. It’s one ideology amongst many relative truths. It can’t be trusted. These are all excuses for people who simply do not want to surrender their lives to the narrative of Jesus as Savior. Their argument often fails to consider the consequences of their misinformed thinking. And it also fails to seriously consider the proof of the numerous statements and actions fulfilled by the faithful, promise-keeping Son of God.

Religion, more specifically Christianity, is more than a game. It’s more than picking a side and cheering on our favorite team. In fact, it’s an all out war for the souls of men and women around the world. It’s not a battle against religious institutions. It’s a war between the King of Kings and the prince of this world.

We’re constantly using our words, our intellect, and our emotions to fight against one another. But we fail to see it’s a fight for our heart; our passions, our treasures, our will. Jesus recognized the sinful broken condition of this world so He made a way for restoration through the sacrifice of His life.

God is our creator. And the initial plan for the relationship He desired to have with us was marred by our attempts to chase after something He never meant for us to have; a cheap substitute for autonomy caused by pride and lust.

His ways are perfect and the sacrifice of His Son was sufficient. His death paved a way of grace and forgiveness that leads to reconciling us back to Himself. Do I really need a Savior? For sure. Am I really that bad? The worst. Is Jesus for me? Without question. Is He worth it? Absolutely. Should I wait? Absolutely not.

There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
No lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me