Monday, December 22, 2008

Hard Things


"Great faith is the product of great fights. Great testimonies are the outcome of great test. Great triumphs can only come out of great trials."


This morning as I woke up, I could not help but to just smile. Last night before going to bed I read a few chapters in a book I just bought titled : Do Hard Things, which was written by Alex and Brett Harris.

For me, especially in the past few months, it seems like my whole life has been about doing hard things. I do know I have it easier than most, and am maybe just a big baby, labeling some things 'hard' that others may find small and easy, but big or small they were hard for me.

I must remind myself that God isn't glorified when His children limit themselves to what comes easily for them. He isn't glorified when His children aren't willing to do hard things. The Christian calling is hard, but it is also the only calling worthy of such extraordinary effort.

History tells us that our best life is not our easiest life. Those men and women who were of the greatest service to God and to mankind were those who gave the most of themselves; those who endeavored, not to avoid difficulties, but to overcome them; not to seek comfort, but to do what was necessary, no matter how hard.

Our greatest joy and satisfaction comes not from avoiding hard things but from joyfully embracing them. This is how the same Jesus who said, "If anyone would come after Me let him deny himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me," could also say, "for My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Following in Christ's footsteps is hard, but it's good, and He is the ultimate example to us of a life spent doing hard things for the glory of God.



1 comment:

Eric Apple said...

At the beginning of this week i found your blog site some how through facebook or whatever and i read and few of your blogs and ended with this one. i noticed the book "Do Hard Things" was one that you have been reading or based this blog off of so i was interested and went and bought it. I finished it in 4 days and believe everyone should read it. Teenagers theses days, including myself, have so much opportunity to do such Hard, Great things with out lives but it seems that the majority do not look to God to find these things we could do. Instead they go on and party and cause trouble, which isnt always bad, but it is not good either. I have recently made a commitment to myself to attend church every Sunday. This book has helped me realize that there are so many things that I can do at my age right now that can help change the world little by little and hopefully eventually in a bigger way.