Letting Go of Easy

I need to be stronger. 

Has that thought crossed your mind? 

Maybe you feel like this season has done a number on your body. Are your arms weaker? Perhaps your legs tire faster, or you can’t catch your breath. For many of us, our need for strength runs deeper than the state of our bodies. A world in crisis affects not only our communities but our kitchens as well. Ordinary life can become too heavy to handle. Maybe we know the right things to do, but some days feel like we don’t have what circumstances demand. What do we do when we experience a season of defeat, knowing God has created us for more? 

To get back on track, I turn to Scripture to meet me in my need. 

For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, Hebrews 12:11-12

The writer of Hebrews nails it. Often, the number one reason for waning when you and I should be winning is because we want the process to be easy. Don’t give this girl hills, planks, or burpees. I want a pleasant walk at a comfortable pace, with a cool breeze whipping through my hair. Otherwise, I’m out. Sound familiar?

You and I can experience the same phenomenon beyond the physical exertion of our bodies. When our prayers seem to stop mid-air unanswered or the problem goes south anyway, we call it quits. Sticking it out in faith when it feels like God has gone missing makes us want to walk away, just like refusing to do one more burpee. 

The initial step toward becoming stronger is to exercise the disciplines we know to do. You and I don’t need to go searching for a new class to learn yoga with a goat. We simply should do what we know to do, minus the easy route. Put some muscle in the workouts. Add some focus to reading our Bibles. Pour intensity into our prayers. Believe God with our lives. These are the makings of a stronger you and those of a stronger me. 

Today, loosen your grip on easy. It only leads to defeat. Instead, think of one way you can embrace the discipline required for stepping up your game.