Hardship

“After preaching the Good News in Derbe and making many disciples, Paul and Barnabas returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia, 22 where they strengthened the believers. They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God” Acts 14:21-22 NLT.

Does life every feel really hard?

When life seems hard to me I like to get some perspective from those that have gone before me. When I was frustrated with a hard situation as a child, my mom would say “This too shall pass.”  I always hated that phrase. It seemed like she wasn’t being compassionate for the crises of my moment.

But really, compare your life situation to the life of the Apostle Paul.  Who was beaten, left for dead, tortured, left out on the open seas, ship wrecked, imprisoned.  Yet through all of this He kept His faith while preaching the gospel and then returning to churches and strengthening their faith.  He would remind those that he preached to that they must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.

So today, is your life really that hard?  Or have you been seduced by modern culture to think that you need every comfort and convenience to be happy. Realize that going through the hard things in life, help you learn life lessons that actually help you to become more like God. For Jesus Himself, suffered and died on the cross for you, because of the eternal joy of your salvation.