Are You Saying to Jesus, that You Are Only There for the Good Times, but When Things Get Rough, You're Going to Hit the Road?

"Therefore hear the parable of the sower: When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, and does not understand it, then the wicked one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the world, immediately he stumbles."  Matthew 13:18-21

This passage really made me think when my minister discussed it at church recently. The underlined part is what really caught my attention. This is saying that there's people out there who joyfully embrace a relationship with Christ, but don't continue to deepen that relationship. As soon as these people meet with trouble or are persecuted for their faith, their faith in Jesus goes by the wayside. 

So are you saying to Jesus, that you are only there for the good times, but when things get rough, you're going to hit the road? Fortunately for us, Jesus didn't give up on us when things got rough! He knew in advance that He would be betrayed, beat, spit upon, mocked, crucified and buried. He kept His sights on the fact that His going through all of this for us. He would rise again on Easter and pay the price for our sinful human nature, so that we could some day join Him in heaven! Now, that's definitely worth our sticking around and not going by the wayside when the rough times come!