Why is Life so Hard?

Okay people. I’m going to put it out there. “Why is life hard?” There, I said it! Come on! Don’t act like you’ve never said that before or thought it. I’ve heard people go so far to say, “Why are we here if this is all there is to it. There has to be a better way!”


Of course there is a better way. In Matthew 11:30, Jesus says “For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." (NIV). In that HE is saying that HE knows that sin makes life hard. We are shaped in sin. Sin is a part of our everyday life therefore life is not going to always be easy. Yes, some days are better than others, but while we are in this flesh, we are sinners. Yes, we repent, but we are still shaped in sin. Romans 7:20 (amplified) explains “Now if I do what I do not desire to do, it is no longer I doing it [it is not myself that acts], but the SIN [principle] which dwells WITHIN me [[c]fixed and operating in my soul]. The good news is that when we are in Christ, HE bears the sin thus making our burdens easier. HE alone is the one that can save us. HE doesn’t say that we won’t have burdens and that as Christians, we are exempt. He is saying that our burdens are lighter and we can rest in HIM.

Have you ever seen a yoke? A yoke is a shaped wooden CROSSpiece bound to the necks of a pair of oxen or horses. It is held on the animals' necks. It transmits force between the animals' shoulders making it easier to carry a load. Imagine that you are going through a tough trial and you are all alone. You are trying to carry this heavy burden on your shoulders and the more you try to walk the heavier it gets until you are almost crawling on the ground. THEN you call on JESUS and you become yoked with HIM. He is strong and equipped. He picks up the burden you are carrying and walks beside you. Did you just feel that relief!! The awe in knowing that HE cares enough about you to carry you! The burden just got easier. Once again, it didn’t go away but now you can rest in HIM. That’s incredible news.

I leave you with this. One of my favorite songs is “Stand” by Donnie McClurkin. In it he says, after you’ve prayed and cried and have done all that you can, you just STAND. I know that I can Stand up and strong when I am yoked to Jesus. HE is there to dust my knees off, STAND me up and allow me to push forward. That is my prayer for you today, STAND, in Jesus’ name… Amen!

Warning! Self Esteem killer on the loose!

“My self esteem is shot!” Wow! How painful! The very core of someone’s being has been damaged. It has been torn apart by the enemy as he roams to and fro, seeking to destroy anything that is good. It’s time to fight!

SHOT!

To hear that someone has been shot brings to mind a painful scene. The first thing we ask is if they are okay? We wonder if they are severely injured or near death. SHOT! It’s a scary thought, a scary thing to hear about. Yes, we hear about someone getting shot on the news all of the time. It’s become a standard part of life. Crimes are reported every day. We can become de-sensitized to it until we hear about someone that we know. Then it becomes personal.

CALL 911

We should feel the same way, when we hear that someone’s self esteem has been tattered, torn or possibly destroyed. It’s serious. Immediate aid is needed. The same special care should be taken. We should ask, if they are okay. We should ask how badly they are injured and pray with them to assist them in healing. They may not be dead physically, but what about spiritually or mentally. We should care. We have to care and we have to act quickly to as in any 911 situation. We have to minimize the damage as soon as possible.

FIGHTING FOR VICTORY!

How do we react you may ask. We have to fight. We have to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) Gird ourselves up! Pull out our swords (the word) and fight! Don’t cower. That’s what the enemy wants us to do. He wants us to be fearful, hide and slink into a corner defeated. Once he senses that we are weak, he will send out all kinds of attacks because he senses a victory. Once again, he is a confused. We are God’s chosen children. We have to face him head on and call him out for the liar that he is. Speak it out loud! “I am God’s child! I am chosen! God carefully put me together and personally planned my life and my purpose! I will carry it out! HE has promises for my life! The war is already won and I am a winner, a winner in HIM, in Jesus name.. Amen!!

HEALED

Don’t you feel better??? Whew, I do! Just speaking the word back to HIM makes HIM smile. HE is ready and willing to come to our defense. The WORD causes the enemy to flee!

A friend of mine shared a word with us at practice tonight. He said that he’d heard someone say, that “God honors HIS word over HIS name!” HIS WORD! All of HIS promises are YES and I believe it and receive it! IN HIM we ARE healed! Confidence is restored! Worth intact! HEALED!

Hurdles-How I Got Over!

Hurdles- How I got over!!


Have you ever run hurdles? It’s all about skill, timing and mindset. When I was growing up, I had the skill. I could run and I was fast. My 9th grade gym teacher recognized this and asked me to run track. One of the events that she wanted me to participate in was the hurdles. She figured a cheerleader that could run would be a perfect combination. The training began with timing. She had me count out the steps between the hurdles to teach me the rhythm. Then a problem presented itself. I didn’t have the mindset. Seeing those hurdles placed in front of me seemed like a daunting task. How in the world was I going to do this? Keep in mind, I liked to excel at everything that I did and this was not coming easily. I knew that in order to get to the finish line, I had to clear them. If my timing was off, I would either fall or knock the hurdles down. A misstep could actually cause me to lose the race! More about this later…

PERCEPTION VS REALITY

Those hurdles looked like HUGE obstacles to me. It was the perception. Just as in life, if we allow our hurdles to scare us, we are already defeated. We can easily psyche ourselves out of running. Every step toward them may cause us to pause, stop or turn around. We begin to tell ourselves that there is no way we will ever be able to get over the hurdle. What do we do then? Give up and quit! Defeated!

On the other hand, there is another choice. We can choose to face the hurdle head on! Instead of a defeatist attitude, we can choose to win. Our hurdles are not insurmountable. The hurdle event in track and field is defined as a sport where the sprinter runs over the hurdle or barrier. RUN over the barrier!! That’s right. The barriers are there but it is expected that we RUN OVER THEM! That’s good to me people. If it was an impossible task then there would be no need for the sport. That’s the same for you and me. Barriers may be in front of us. The hurdles may appear monumental BUT with faith in GOD all things are possible. With perseverance and HIS help, all things can be won! We can clear those hurdles. When we cross the finish line and look back and see how we got over, we can see why the barriers were there. There to show us that we can do it. There to teach a lesson and growth. Showing us that we CAN push forward!

I AM A WINNER

Back in the 9th grade, the hurdles won. I let them defeat me. I gave up and moved onto to something else. Although, I gave up, I learned a valuable lesson from that experience. I learned that I should have stuck with it. I shouldn’t have let the fear of failing get in my way. I learned that although I was intimidated by the task, it was only my perception. It wasn’t real. I have taken that lesson and used it in life. Used it to remind me to push forward, even when I don’t feel like it! Push forward, even when I don’t want to because the end result will be oh so sweet! We can win the race! We are victorious and we are winners! In Jesus name, AMEN!

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7