A Travel Guide for Life, Faith, and Relationships!
Standing at the counter in a local business supply store, I looked down to see an “Easy Button.” I was surprised these somewhat annoying things are still around, and I couldn’t resist the urge to hit the button.
“That was easy,” came the reply, and the store clerk glared at me a bit. Then, of course, as a germaphobe, I wondered how many hands had touched this disgusting ground zero for the plague!
The other thing that struck me was this reality: nothing is easy.
I’m not a pessimist.
Really.
I’m not a fatalist either.
But is it me or does life on planet Earth seem to be getting harder?
Yes, we have far more modern conveniences that any generation before us. We have more data and computing power in our cell phones than anyone has ever dreamt possible.
In many ways, life for me is much easier than it was for my grandfather who was a farmer in Montana. But our modern world has also complicated many things for us. Sadly, the conveniences sometimes become contraptions that complicate our lives.
However, despite the power at our fingertips or what we might learn from Google, life on this side of eternity is still a challenge. Always has been. Always will be.
So, I thought about giving you some sage advice about ways to overcome hardship and struggle. And I was prepared to provide you with lots of practical and helpful ideas.
Then it dawned on me.
There’s truly only one thing that matters most, and only one point I want to give you today.
There is no Easy Button.
Stop looking for it.
Stop complaining.
Stop expecting things to get easier, and you won’t be frustrated or mad when life is hard.
Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.”
Even the Music Man said, “Ya got trouble, folks! Right here in River City! Trouble, with a capital T, and that rhymes with P, and that stands for pool!” (How did he know about my trouble in River City, aka, Spokane?)
I’m not saying just roll over, die, and give up. Certainly, fight the good fight. Stay the course. Pray.
In the words of Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up.”
But unmet expectations lead to confusion at best and anger as a rule. If you expect life to be easy and it isn’t, then that’s likely to make you one very miserable and grumpy person.
I suggest you change your attitude regardless of the altitude you currently possess.
Valleys happen. Life happens. Stuff happens.
It is what it is.
Just press on and grow through it—don’t just go through it—because there is no Easy Button.
Maybe that’s why Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (John 16:33).”
Take heart, my friend. Trouble happens, but that’s not the end of the story.
