It's Easier Than You Think: Galatians 1:18-24

We often make following God harder than it needs to be.  We put on the expectation of perfection.  We put on the expectation of doing the impossible.  We overlook the small tasks to which God calls, thinking only the noteworthy accomplishments matter.  That’s on us, though, not God.

Paul continues his story of growth.  Once he’d spent enough time reflecting on the foundation of God’s work through Jesus, he went to Syria and Cilicia.  Cilicia was a Roman province in Turkey just north of Syria.  Acts tells us this is Paul’s home region.

God calls Paul to the familiar and the comfortable first.  God calls him to where he knows.  God calls him to a place where he can focus on developing himself rather than worrying about learning a new culture.

God doesn’t typically throw people to the wolves.  He promises to only give us what we can bear with His help.  God isn’t going to ask us to do something for which He has not already equipped us.

To start his ministry, Paul goes to the region he knows best.  He goes where he can practice with little social unfamiliarity.  He goes where he can practice, learn, and grow with as little stress as possible.

This doesn’t mean it was easy.  Jesus says a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.  Paul initially went to Jerusalem because he was developing into a competent religious leader.  When Paul went to Jerusalem and learned to persecute the followers of Christ, he was successful because of how he was brought up in his hometown.  When Paul comes back, there are going to be people who expect him to be the same.  Surely, he met criticism from people who didn’t understand how he could come home a follower of Christ.  God may have called Paul home because Paul knew it well, but that doesn’t mean it was easy.

Between the Gospel of Mark and the letter to the Galatians, we’re seeing a pattern emerge.  Life with God starts with His calling.  That calling, though, is a calling to learn, grow, and imitate Him.  That calling brings us into a time of reflection, analysis, and understanding.  It is a time of equipping.  Only after we’ve allowed Him to equip us will He call us to go out.  Even then, He calls us into situations we can handle with His help.  He calls us into places where we can continue to learn, grow, and practice.

Following God does not mean going off into the threatening world and slaying dragons - not at first, at least.  This is a huge misunderstanding most Christians have.  Jesus’ yoke is easy and His burden is light.  Feeling called by God?  Ask Him what He wants you to learn first.  Once equipped, then figure out the familiar places you can go to get experience.  That’s what the disciples did under Jesus.  That’s what Paul did under Jesus.  Unfortunately, we often make following God harder than it needs to be.