Kara Lawson, head coach of women’s basketball at Duke University, commented that nothing is going to get easy, you have to learn how to do hard better. This is profoundly true from a training perspective, but it carries over into life in general. However, the world usually looks for easy.
We often think, if I could do or have this or that, things will get easier. I used to think that when I finished school, things would get easy. Learning always required much effort. But my mother said, when you stop learning, you get stagnant and fall behind. She always encouraged me to stay ahead and keep learning more. In a sense, it was true that once I learned what I needed to learn, that task became easier, but boredom and lack of fulfillment soon set in. Then, contentment became hard. Sometimes, hard things seem like more than we can handle, and we seek a way out.
Hard vs. Easy
God’s Word says, He won’t give you more than you can handle without providing a way out. (1 Corinthians 10:13 NET) Often, that way out is not easy; it requires great faith, fervent prayer, endurance and trust in God. The Lord builds your character through the hard things. Like Coach Lawson said, you learn how to do hard better.
Life is hard, there’s no two ways about it, yet we humans innately desire easy. It can be so cliche: “easy come, easy go; take it easy; easy does it; easy on the eyes; there’s no easy way out; or no easy way to say this; easy peasy, as easy as pie. Have you ever made a really good pie? I have tried and it wasn’t easy and it wasn’t good. Often, there’s a lot of hype about easy. But Jesus tells the truth about it.
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
Jesus promises rest in this burdensome life. A yoke is a collar that goes around two beasts of burden (oxen) to help them move heavy loads. Often, we carry heavy loads in our mind. We get bogged down by the worries of the world, carrying these burdens. When I’ve carried heavy burdens, people have said “you look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders”. This is the stress that causes headaches, shoulder, neck and back pain, as well as sickness and disease in general. It’s one of the the things that Jesus came to rescue mankind from. Anxiety is a silent killer. It manifests itself by negatively affecting the human body.
You were not created to carry the weight of the world; that’s God’s job. But you were also not created to be “care” less either. So how do you find the balance? The answer is with Jesus. The truth about hard is if you push through with excellence, you will become stronger and better at the task at hand. It will build your character. That’s a good thing! Whether you’re an athlete, a student or a worker, we all desire to be good at what we do. God’s word says let everything you do be done with excellence for the glory of God. When you work hard at something, relying on God through the Holy Spirit (the Helper), you glorify God. That’s what you were created for!
Yoke Yourself to Jesus
This is the first and greatest commandment: “Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Deuteronomy 6:5) God said: “you shall have no strange gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3) When you take burdens upon yourself without relying on the One who created you, you’re setting yourself up as god in your life. Only God is sovereign! You don’t have to be in control and you were not created to do life alone, or solve the world’s problems. It causes anxiety and makes you sick. Jesus took on the “world’s problem” (sin) for us! He even died for it so we can live a good, peaceful, abundant life. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes. Trying to atone for one’s misdeeds by being righteous is hard. But when you believe in the message of the cross, that Jesus Christ suffered, died and was buried for the forgiveness of sin, then rose from the dead, overcoming all that leads to death, then you are clothed with Jesus’ righteousness. There is nothing hard about it. That’s the easy part. Jesus helps you overcome the hard things. Because Jesus was an Overcomer, you are too! He gives the power of His Holy Spirit to all who believe.
God’s Word says two are better than one. (Ecclesiasties 4:9-12) Eve was created as Adam’s helpmate illustrating the covenant of marriage. But I don’t have to tell you how difficult marriage relationships can be; just look at the divorce rate. God’s word also says that a cord of three strands is not easily broken. This portrays the marriage covenant together in relationship with the Holy Spirit (God’s ideal plan for marriage). But it goes even further than that, it’s a picture of Jesus and the church, the bond of brothers and sisters in Christ.
When you yoke yourself to Jesus, helpmates become plentiful. Each person has a part to play, and when they work together in unity, it builds up the body of Christ, the church. Then, together you can take on some of worries of the world, glorifying God in the process.
Strive to do everything in excellence. Push through the hard things with the help of Jesus and fellow believers, lifting up one another in times of trial. Encourage one another, spurring them on. That’s what a good basketball coach does to motivate her team. I’m here to motivate you and cheer on “team Jesus”. Read your Bible, but don’t think it’ll get easy without the help of the Holy Spirit. The more you read it, the deeper you will go in relationship with God. Spiritual growth may “seem” hard, but don’t worry, God will open your eyes, your faith and joy will increase, and you will become fruitful in every way.
“For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two–edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
In other words, the deeper you go, the more enlightened you become. Your burdens become lighter because your strength is in the Lord and your joy becomes complete. Jesus is the only thing in this life that makes it easy to do what is hard. Looking for the easy way is never worthwhile unless you’re yoked to Jesus. Believe and accept Jesus as your personal Savior today; you will be glad you did!
Thanks for taking time to read my blog. If you’re looking for easy, pray the prayer at the end of my previous blog (Dealing with Disappointment) and make Jesus the Lord of your life.
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