The old saying goes, “Christianity has not been tried and found not to work; it has been tried and found to be hard.”

And we don’t like difficult things.

I was reflecting on that this week and began making a list of “impossible” or “unnatural” acts the Lord requires of all who would be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Let’s make this very plain: The Lord delights in putting His children in spots too much for them to handle. He loves to ask more from us than we have to give. He does not mind at all throwing us into the deep part of the pool just to teach us a few things about His presence and power.

here is my list. They’re in no particular order. Add yours at the end.

1. We are to love our enemies.

The natural thing to do is to hate our enemies and work to undermine them. Jesus Christ will have none of that. Love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you. (Matthew 5:44)

We protest, “Lord, I don’t even like them! So how can I love them?” Answer: He doesn’t require us to like them. Just love them. And that means doing loving things toward them–like blessing them, doing good to them, and praying for them.

On the cross, Jesus called out, “Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). He demonstrated what He was demanding in us.

2. We are to serve the lowest, the least, the last.

The natural thing to do is look around for the most deserving and most appreciative and center all our efforts there. Jesus would have none of that. He said, “When you give a dinner…invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind” (Luke 14:12-13).

I’ve pastored churches where leaders did not want to do this. “Preacher, all those deadbeats come into the office asking for a handout. Why don’t they get jobs. You know they could if they really wanted to.”

My response was always to say, “Jesus told us to give to anyone who asked of us. This is not optional. He didn’t say we had to give what they are asking for or as much as they want. But we are to be in the business of giving.” Whether they deserve it or not is irrelevant.

After all, what if the Lord restricted Heaven’s blessings to the deserving? We’d all be in the cold.

3. We are to submit to one another in the church.

The natural thing is to submit to the more gifted, more spiritual, more talented or powerful. It’s natural to submit to someone who is in a power position, but Scripture demands that God’s people live by a different standard.

“…submitting to one another in the fear of God” (Ephesians 5:21).

Speaking at church filled with military people, I asked why they saluted officers. Is it because they are brighter, smarter, stronger, richer, better soldiers? None of that, I was told. “We salute because it’s the system.” Were our troops allowed to pick and choose whom they would obey and salute, the system would break down, the training would become ineffective, and the enemy would win.

There are to be no little lords in the church. Only sweet-spirited people who have been redeemed and who love to bless one another.

4. We are to obey our leaders.

The natural thing to do is be selective about whom we will obey. “I’ll follow him if I think he deserves my loyalty.” This attitude–straight out of the world–has destroyed hundreds of churches as rebels have risen up and refused to follow their leaders.

“Obey your leaders and submit to those who have the rule over you in the Lord, as those who will give account for your souls. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for that would not be profitable for you” (Hebrews 13:17).

That command may be the hardest of all to obey. And yet, in many respects, it’s the most crucial. The task is complicated, of course, by the leaders who abuse their position of trust and make it impossible for godly laymen and laywomen to follow their leadership.

Often in training sessions, I counsel church members on one of the foundational principles of healthy churches: Choose good leaders, then trust them to do their jobs.

5. We are to be content in whatever circumstances we find ourselves.

The natural thing to do is to be sky-high when things are going well, and to be depressed when they aren’t. Only a few of the most mature have mastered the principle of remaining on an even keel regardless of what is going on around them.

Paul wrote, “I have learned in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content” (Philippians 4:11).

That’s unnatural. You bet it is. That’s why the Lord included it. Nothing demonstrates our faith that the Living God sits on the throne than our steadiness when everything around us is coming loose.

6. We are to rejoice regardless of external conditions.

The natural thing to do is rejoice when the kids are doing great, you get a great job, you fall in love, the news from the doctor is excellent, and the outlook looks rosy. Likewise, when the opposite occurs, your joy goes out the window.

The Lord Jesus will have none of that. “Do not rejoice because the devils are subject to you,” He said. “Rejoice because your names are written in the Book of Life” (Luke 10:20). If our joy fluctuates based on externals, we will bob back and forth. The disciple who pleases Christ will “rejoice always” (I Thessalonians 5:16)

7. We are to reach the entire world with His Gospel.

The natural thing to do is to take inventory of our assets, pronounce that they are not adequate for this assignment, then go on home and do what little we can. However, the Lord is trying to get us out of the human mindset that bows before such limitations.

“As you are going into all the world,” Jesus said, “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:18-19).

The disciples who were first to receive this “Great Commission” could have lodged a massive protest against the Lord for such an impossible command. They did not have money enough, personnel enough, knowledge enough, education enough, and a thousand other requirements to fulfill such a command. We must learn from their fine example and not look for excuses to get out of a task, but for His provisions to enable it.

8. We are to pray constantly, whether we see answers or not.

It’s unnatural to pray. Praying admits to a helplessness and confesses to a higher power. The fallen nature of man resents the need to pray.

God’s people are to be people of faith. The principle of “the just shall live by faith” goes all the way back into Old Testament days. (See Habakkuk 2:4) The New Testament assures us, “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6). And nothing demonstrates faith like our praying.

In most cases we will never know whether our prayers are answered or not. Anytime we pray for someone who lives away–relatives, friends, government leaders, missionaries–we have no way of watching them to see what God does. We will not know that that missionary was divinely protected that day because of our prayers. We will not know that the president or the governor had a divine inspiration and signed a bill or vetoed one, as a direct result of our prayers.

Jesus asked, “When the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on earth” (Luke 18:8)?

The answer to that is: if people are still praying, yes.

9. We are to give generously, whether we have anything to give or not.

The natural thing to do is to give when we have plenty, enough to share. But to give when we have little or nothing, isn’t that asking too much?

Some of the best heroes in the Bible answer that with more eloquence than we can summons by ourselves:

–the widow of II Kings 4 who took care of the Prophet Elisha when she was down to her last jar of oil

–the widow of Mark 12 who dropped into the offering plate her two last coins.

–the Macedonians of II Corinthians 8 who contributed to the poor-offering not only according to their ability, but far more. In a great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality.

We who follow Jesus are never allowed to see what we cannot afford to give, but always to ask: “What do I have?” and to give that.

10. And, we are to do all these things without the certainty of a payday for what could be thousands of years.

It’s our nature to not mind making a great sacrifice so long as we know the payoff is just ahead. But that is not what Jesus promises…

When you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind; and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just (Luke 14:13-14).

Can you serve the Lord today knowing you may not receive your reward from Him for hundreds or even thousands of years?

Can you wait that long? Can you serve that strong? Can you sing that song?

Question: Why would the Lord choose to do this, to require such impossible behavior–such unnatural acts–from His disciples?

Here are some answers—

–In order to set a different standard in us as against the world.

–To get the attention of the world.

–To deepen our faith.

–To drive us to God out of a sense of sheer helplessness so we will find His strength to be sufficient.

–To “separate the men from the boys,” so to speak.

–To teach us the greatest of all truths: He will be with us and He is enough.

There will be no room for perfectionists on this pilgrim’s highway. Only sinners–those used to trying and stumbling and falling and getting up again–will stay with the assignment. Those who cannot abide the constant struggles to serve God will soon drop out of the pack, while they consider all their options and select something a lot easier.

I hope you’re with us for the long haul. Be sure to look around and lend a hand to a fellow struggler. God never intended we would be able to pull this off alone. That’s why He commands us to help one another.