On the road to becoming the person we’re destined to be, we’re gonna encounter alot of stuff. Some of it’s gonna be hard, some of it’s gonna be ugly. But that’s where the glory is.
Did anyone ever get a prize for doing the easy thing? Was any great acheivement ever accomplished by taking the easy road? It’s always the people who take on the hard tasks, the difficult road, who accomplish the extraordinary.
As the saying goes, No guts, no glory. No pain, no gain.
This applies to everything that God places in our lives — or places us in the middle of.
At work. The projects no one wants to tackle because it’s too complicated or difficult.
In our relationships. Getting along with each other. Keeping our mouths shut when everything inside us is screaming. Putting up with the other’s idiosyncracies and annoying habits because we are called to love. Doing that one extra act of personal sacrifice for the other.
In our own lives. Putting down the fork when we’re done — when we’re really done, not when we’d like to be done. Not grabbing that second (or third) helping from the buffet. Getting on the treadmill even when we’re tired. Working out because our bodies need the exercise. Spending more time in prayer and in God’s Word, even when we don’t feel like it. Saving that extra 20 bucks instead of buying that CD or DVD we really want — or not getting that Latte Grande every time we have a craving. Not pulling out that credit card. Turning off the TV. Turning off the cell phone or Blackberry. Cutting down on the cups of coffee or the number of cigarettes. Not letting our eyes wander at the mall because God has called us to be faithful to our mates.
I’m speaking here as much to myself as anyone else, since I know my own tendency toward laziness. I know I hate to pull myself off the couch sometimes. Seems like I have sooooo many barbells to lift yet.
But all growth comes from strain, from pressing foward, from pushing beyond our current limits. From taking that one extra step outside our immediate comfort zone.
We’re all called to self-discipline. It’s one of the Fruits of the Spirit. But if you want to be great, you must stretch beyond the minimum requirements. You have to take on the hard tasks. How else will you ever see God do great things in your life if you stay where you’re at now?
Don’t shun the hard thing. It’s the tool God wants to use to bring you to your greatest destiny.
Just something to consider …
—
photo credit: Hank Hession, cc.