Hard Things

It just seems like everything that is worthwhile is hard to do and the things that are useless or hurtful are always easy. It is easy to gain weight to the point of obesity and hard to lose weight, much stay physically fit. All you have to do is eat all you want, when you want and never exercise and your weight and blood pressure will go "up, up and away" out of control. It is easy drop out of church and hard to be faithful. All you have to do to disappear from church is nothing. The same is true for all of the spiritual disciplines (how that word "discipline" is disliked) that are at the heart of a vital, dynamic relationship with God. If we only pray and read God's Word when we "feel like it", we will do it spasmodically at best and eventually "seldom and never" will describe the frequency of our fellowship with God. The result will be a joyless and barren Christian life and work. But wait a minute, why is it so hard to be consistent in the things that are so vital to our physical and spiritual life?

The answer to this question is simple; lack of genuine desire. Here is a principle of life that is true for every one of us, unless we are an invalid. If we genuinely want to do something we will find a way and if we don't we will find an excuse. It sure is easier to make an excuse than to exercise three times a week or more. But if we really want to then we will find a way to do it "rain or shine". The same thing is true for our spiritual disciplines. Well then, where does the desire come from?

Desire comes from need. When we have a real need for something we will have the desire to do the things necessary to make it a reality in our lives. For instance, if we begin to have shortness of breath and tightness in our chest whenever we exert ourselves and the doctor says that we are on the verge of serious heart problems if we don't eat right and exercise regularly the need to stay alive will give us the genuine desire to do those things; consistently! I've seen people who just "couldn't quit" smoking, stop cold turkey in a single day. How? They were diagnosed with lung cancer and the need to live took away their desire for nicotine.

The same is true of our spiritual life. Until we realize how much we need God, not just to get to Heaven, but to live an abundant, fruitful, useful, satisfying and acceptable life, we won't have the desire necessary to be consistent in the things of God. Until we "wake up" to the the fact that the way we live as believers on earth will eternally affect our life in Heaven we will see no "need" to discipline ourselves to take up our cross and follow Him. Jesus talked a lot about this truth. He said that being a servant here was the key to being great in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus warned against having only earthly treasure and not laying up treasure in Heaven. Why would He say that unless our live in Heaven was affected by what we did with what God gave us on earth. That is called stewardship and Jesus said that He will give a "well done good and faithful servant" as well as the assignment to "be ruler over much" in eternity to those who were faithful to Him on earth. When the reality of Heaven sinks in, a need to live life accordingly will give me the desire to consistently practice the spiritual disciplines of a godly person. But, there is one more ingredient and it is the key ingredient to having a real need to live a godly life. James 1:12 says it perfectly. "Blessed is the man who endures temptation (trials and hardships); for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown (a victor's crown) of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
When we truly love someone we have a great need to please them. This creates the desire to do whatever we must do to accomplish that. The key to consistency in the things of God is loving God. This is the way we measure our love for Christ or lack thereof. Jesus said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments.

One more question needs to be asked. How do we rekindle or increase our love for Jesus? The answer is in 1 John 4:19. "We love Him because He first loved us." A verse from the great hymn, "How Great Thou Art" shows us how to experience this truth in our daily lives. "And when I think, that God His Son not sparing, sent Him to die I scarce can take it in; that on the cross my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin. Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee; How great Thou art, How great Thou art!" If you can meditate on the cross without your love for God burning hotter, then maybe you have never been there nor known His love, forgiveness and received eternal life from Him.