The Hard Way—Who Said Life Was Supposed to Be Easy?

After finishing an inspiring book, I was thinking about how I would like to contribute something to the world—how I would like to encourage others with the knowledge that they are not the only ones who feel “like that.” I thought, I could just give someone my journal. That ought to do it.

But as I was lying there waiting to fall asleep, I had a feeling come over me that I’ve thought before, Oh no. If anyone published or even read this journal I would be so embarrassed.

Journals are funny. Every time I get a new one I think, This is the one. The good one. The one that is going to capture me doing it right. The one that will have my love story in it, or that great trip to Europe, or when I finally figure out how to really trust Jesus with my whole life.

Looking over my old journals, I saw a pattern I hadn’t noticed before. When things in my life are going well, the entries are few and far between. But when everything gets hard, the entries are right on top of each other. That must be why God’s Word says, “The LORD is near the brokenhearted; He saves those crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18). This doesn’t mean God is far away when I’m happy—it means I am.

So, how do I change that? Because if I don’t, none of my journals will ever capture the joyous moments of my life. I’ll only have entries talking about my extreme embarrassment or bad times. And, worst of all, that means I won’t be close to the Lord and seeking His kingdom at all times—even in the good.

But how do I do it? How do I remain desperate for the Lord and His guidance in the good times too? Maybe it all boils down to thankfulness. Maybe I’m not as thankful as I ought to be when good things come. Or worse, maybe I’m taking credit or giving credit to things other than God for the good in my life.

God is funny because so many things seem to be opposite with Him. Good times become bad when I forget Him; bad times become good because I’m closer to Him.

This all goes quite well with what a friend of mine was saying the other day. He was talking about how we get so frustrated when life gets hard. We’re all stuck in a mind-set that it’s supposed to be easy. Even something my mother has said in reference to relationships supports that thought: “It’s not supposed to be that much work—you shouldn’t have to work so hard.” Really?

I think about my relationship with her. Sometimes it’s hard work, but it’s always good. And my relationship with my sister—hard in the past but good now. Even my relationships with my best friends Anna and Sarah—it’s effortless to enjoy them but so hard to challenge and hold them accountable. And, of course, there is my relationship with Christ—it’s so hard. I think if Jesus had coffee with His friends and He told them how I treat Him, they would tell Him to break up with me.

Everything that is worth having is going to come hard—it’s supposed to be hard. Matthew 7:13 reminds me of this truth: “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it.” So the sooner I can be OK with this reality and thank God for the hard, the better. It’s hard for all of us, and that’s why we need each other.

This article was originally printed in CS magazine.