You Ask Me Why I Follow Jesus

“My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” (Psalm 119:50)

When we live with daily chronic pain (the aches, the pain, the relentlessness!) people can look at us suffering and ask, “Why on earth do you still believe in a God that allows you to suffer so much? You are such a good person. If He healed you, you would be so grateful! You could do even more for Him than you are now!”

Sometimes we may even ask ourselves that. . . right? We wouldn’t be human if we didn’t have questions and doubts about it sometimes.

But here is a beautiful poem that you may have seen before, that describes some of the reasons, despite the pain and suffering, we still believe in Jesus.

You ask why I follow this Jesus?
Why I love Him the way I do?
When the world’s turned away from His teachings
And the people who serve Him are few.

It’s not the rewards I’m after
Or gifts that I hope to receive
It’s the Presence that calls for commitment
It’s the Spirit I trust and believe.

The Lord doesn’t shelter His faithful
Or spare them all suffering and pain,
Like everyone else I have burdens,
And walk through my share of rain.

Yet He gives me a plan and a purpose,
And that joy only Christians have known,
I never know what comes tomorrow,
But I do know I’m never alone.

It’s the love always there when you need it;
It’s the words that redeem and inspire,
It’s the longing to ever be with Him
That burns in my heart like a fire.

So you ask why I love my Lord Jesus?
Well, friend, that’s so easy to see,
But the one thing that fills me with wonder is
Why Jesus loves someone like me.

— Author Unknown

About the Author:
Lisa Copen is the founder of Rest Ministries and lives with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia and an enduring hope to see people in pain find Jesus!