Life's hard x2

Something To Think About

"I'm trying to do the right thing, and it's hard."  The young man who shared those words with me is totally sincere.  I've watched him for a while now and I'm convinced that he is trying to do what's right.  When he says "it's hard" he's not speaking of it being difficult, as in, "I know clearly what I need to do, but it is not easy to do that."  What he is doing is difficult, but he's the kind of guy who can man up (forgive me ladies) and do what he needs to do.  What he means is, "It's complicated.  Figuring out what is the right thing to do is difficult." Life is   not a TV show. Things aren't neatly worked out in 30 minutes.  The star does not necessarily survive.  There are many reasons why my friend's situation is complicated.  Part of it has to do with past choices.  Many of the choices we make leave a wake of consequences.  Very high on that list of high impact decisions are the choices we make about relationships.  Our friendships, associations, and especially our marriages, if entered into foolishly or rebelliously, will leave us with fewer good/easy choices, and a lot more really hard ones.   Another big portion of my friend's complications come from the sinful actions of others.  When I do wrong, my actions generally send out ripples that rock the boats of others.  Sometimes my actions are so egregious that they capsize other craft--especially those that may be sitting low in the water, weighed down with problems.  None of us live in a vacuum. The good news is that the Bible is not a guide for living in an ideal, air-brushed, sun-always-shining world.  The pages of scripture are inhabited by the likes of David, Moses, Esther, and Paul.  Talk about people with a past, and/or who are negatively affected by outside forces.   I am confident that my friend will do the right thing, even though it is hard--in both senses of the word--not because he is smart and strong--he is--but because it is people like my friend, in situations like he finds himself, that the Lord promises to lead. When life is hard: Search the scriptures.  Enlist others through counsel, books, etc. to help you. Search your heart.  Often we aren't really willing to do what is right.  That's the other kind of hard.   Are you willing to do what you should. Make sure you and God are on good terms.  We should always walk with the Lord, but when the road is rough it is especially important. Trust the Lord.  Living right is not the result of me figuring it out.  It has to do with me following Him. It is always right to do right.  Don't give up. It's STTA   Click here to hear some thought from a couple of old preachers about finishing well.  It's harder than you may think. http://covingtonbiblechurch.com/lifesmostimportant.html