Created for Work ~ Ch. 4 "Difficulty"

Okay, let's just admit it - as sinful people, we naturally tend to avoid difficult things. We prefer to do things that take little or no effort at all on our part - stuff that doesn't make us uncomfortable or challenge us. That's the wrong attitude. It's an attitude that has no business dwelling in the minds and hearts of Servants of God. Bob Schultz, in Chapter 4 of Created for Work, addresses this sinful attitude, and challenges us to take on the hard things in life, no matter what they are.

Schultz opens the chapter with one of my favorite quotes regarding work: "First a thing is impossible, then it's difficult, then it's done." And it is so true. How many of us have started a tough math lesson thinking, "I wonder if I'm gonna live through this." About the middle of the lesson, we say, "Man, I guess I can do this, but it sure is really hard. I probably won't be done for hours." When we're writing out the final sum to the final problem, we say, "That wasn't too bad at all. I wonder why I dreaded it so much." Our flesh wants to convince us that the task is just beyond us, wants to make us drop our tools and not even try. In reality, that tough math lesson won't kill you - despite the dire foreboding in your mind. Neither will scrubbing the bathroom or writing that long overdue letter to a friend. We often swell up tasks we don't want to do to outrageous proportions - we make mountains out of molehills!

"To God," Schultz goes on to explain, "life is a growth process. In His design, growth follows difficulty. Therefore, without a challenge there is little or no growth. Since growth requires difficulty, the boy who backs away from it will fail to mature. If he avoids lifting tools and materials, he will continue living with weak muscles. If he avoids hard math problems, memorizing, and creative thinking, he will continue to own a weak mind. If he avoids life's challenges, he will have a weak spirit. By sliding down the easy paths of life, a boy remains or becomes feeble, frail, and effeminate... In addition to growth, God tests the hearts and souls of men with difficulties. Our response to these challenges shows what manner of men we are."

If we are faced with a hard task, and we do not respond with a quick, joyful, and ready attitude, it's proof that we need a heart check. It's proof that we are either lazy, complacent, or fearful. It's proof that we do not fully trust God to help us with whatever comes our way.

And God's Word has nothing good to say about the man who avoids difficulty - see Proverbs 20:4, 21:15, 26:13, Romans 12:11, and Hebrews 6:12 for example. As Christians, we absolutely cannot avoid difficulty if we are to be of any use in Christ's cause. The road of a Christian is a road of difficulty. As Soldiers of Jesus, difficulties should hold no qualms for us (Philippians 4:13). If we
avoid a job because of its difficulty, we will never accomplish anything good in life.

Bob Schultz says, "A man of faith sees beyond daily events to the good God who controls all.. Frequently, God disguises Himself as trouble, problems, and difficulty. The wise look past those costumes and see provision, growth, and a good education... All problems are reruns. Whatever hardship you face has been faced by someone before you. The faithless focus on the trouble and complain. The faithful thank God and overcome."

When we face a challenging task - whether it's a math lesson, mowing the lawn, etc - do we see trouble, problems, and difficulty? Or do we see provision, growth, and a good education? Do we complain? Or thank God and overcome? Are we the faithless? Or the faithful?

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"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; to him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God." ~ Revelation 2:7

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"All excellent things are as difficult as they are rare." ~ Benedict Spinoza

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Persevero,

Scribe