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!