There are times in life where we face situations that test our beliefs. Certain life experiences lead us to walk down paths that challenge our faith and if all goes well, we grow and emerge better than we were before. A lot of times, we can’t foresee where these decisions might take us. In this week’s readings however, Jesus tells us exactly what will happen if we choose to follow him.

This week, Jesus tells his disciples to be prepared for his second-coming. We see him warning his followers about false-prophets and catastrophic events that will eventually occur when the time comes. He paints very vivid images of natural disasters: earthquakes, famines and plagues. He warns people that their families and friends will hand them over to die and that they will be hated because of his name. All of these reasons are valid points to be scared about. What’s even more shocking than these warnings, is that Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about everything he just told them about.

Jesus promises his disciples that “Not a hair on your head will be destroyed.” Even with all these events he laid out before them, he reassures them that it will be ok that he will take care of us if we just have faith in him. What an incredible God we have. Jesus understood that as humans, we worry about tangible things. Material things that tie us to this earth. But we are meant to have so much more! Even if the earth and our relationships are taken from us, God reminds us that his love for us will always remain. Even as the world literally crumbles and our friends and family betray us, he reassures us that his love is greater than all.

If we continue to follow Jesus, he reminds us that the road can get bumpy. We may even get fixated on the visible challenges that lie in front of us. Even with all of these things, Jesus promises us a place in heaven. If we continue to persevere through these obstacles, we will secure our lives in his kingdom.