Do Hard Things: The Race for the Prize.

Many of you are familiar with the Rebelution.com - Alex and Brett Harris' (brothers of author and pastor Joshua Harris) blog. If you are, then you may realize that they are writing a book called "Do Hard Things" and have been putting up many posts on the subject. I have found them very challenging, and I decided to submit to you my very own post on the subject. I will be using several comments I left on the Rebelution's Forums, answering questions they presented, as the main substance of this post. How would you define "hard things"? Hard things are things that put us out of our "comfort zones" (our comfort zones which are defined by sinful desires). They are things which put us in situations that make make us feel uncomfortable, inadequate, and/or helpless. What do all hard things have in common? You will usually have to think twice before responding to a "hard thing" if you want your attitude towards it to be gracious and joy-filled. If we overcome and do the "hard things", then we will usually feel that we have truly accomplished something. Can something be difficult (e.g. climbing a rock wall) but not really be a hard thing? If so, what's the difference? Yes. I belive that something like climbing a rock wall can be a different sort of "hard thing" than, say, obeying your parents. However, it could also be the same sort of thing depending on the circumstances. If you knew that you had to climb a rock wall to train you for ministering to the mountain people in another country, then I think climbing a rock wall could be considered an actual "hard thing" - especially if you didn't really want to do it, or if you were actually afraid of heights. I think this may lead me to another addition to the previous question(s): Some things in life, like just climbing a rock wall may be "hard" on your body and physically demanding, but I think a true "hard thing" is when something goes against your fleshly desires (what is deep within you - deeper than that which is just physical)...against your will, your desires, your cravings, even your emotions, but brings glory to God through our weakness and our desire to overcome that weakness. My two cents. ~Lady Tai -- -- -- I am going to use the analogy of a runner throughout this comment, because I believe it very closely parallels our Christian journey - the race for the prize. Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Why do hard things? Why run in a race? Why sweat buckets and end panting? Because we have a reason. The reason that a runner runs is to receive the prize, and to do what he enjoys...namely - running. 1 Corinthians 9:24 "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it." As Christians, we press on and do hard things because we know that, in the end there will be a greater reward for these momentary afflictions. Our lives on earth are fleeting like grass - here today and gone tomorrow. Surely we can fix our eyes on the prize - Jesus - like a runner can fix his eyes on the trophy...and surely we can endure the momentary discomfort or pain in order to receive that prize, as a runner endures momentary discomfort to be worthy of the trophy. The reason that I press on and do hard things is to attempt, in some small way, to bring honor and glory to God through my responses to these situations. It is the same sort of thing with my daily Bible times. So often I wake up and something pops into my head - a new idea, maybe I need to check my email...or is it a chore I forgot to do yesterday? If I start following my wandering thoughts, I will be half-way through the day before I realize that I've forgotten God - my greatest lover, my closest friend (and even then I get side-tracked and start doing something else). I have put an idea for the new toothpaste dispenser above quality time with my savior and king. I put practicing my violin above the one who gave me any talent that I may have in the first place! It may be a hard thing for me to discipline my sinful, wandering mind to be tuned first by God's grace, but when I stop and wait on the Lord, my music throughout the day is much more beautiful and in-tune with Him. Would you rather be a stumbling athlete or runner with beautiful form, who runs with total abandon for the prize? Would you rather be an out-of-tune instrument which grates on everyone's nerves and only brings un-due and un-wanted attention to yourself, or a precisely tuned instrument which makes others sing, and brings glory to God's most beautiful song? How is it rational for us to do these things that we don't enjoy? Well, my answer to the previous question pretty much answers this one too, however, there is more. Think of someone who isn't really in shape, and who's brother told them to run a mile or two, in the hot sun, over rough terrain. This person had just been thinking of sitting down and reading a good book in a comfortable chair, and drinking lemonade. What is this person's response going to be to their brother? "No thank you! I don't feel like it. I have something else I'd rather do." However, what if this same person had been training for months and was in top condition? What if they knew they would be running with many others, and that only the best would make it? What if they knew that hundreds of people would be watching them along the way...and...what if they knew that the winner would receive a huge trophy and a large cash prize? They would barely even notice the rough terrain, though it might hurt a little. They wouldn't care about the hot sun, because their minds would be fixed on the prize. Knowing that others might be taking note of their actions would spur them on. My point? If we have our minds on the right things, and if our hearts are in the right attitude (which does not always happen), the things that we "don't enjoy" become smaller in light of eternity. When we dedicate our time to God first, these things don't seem so cumbersome or dull or painful any more. I know this from experience. Even just in the small area of obeying my parents right when they tell me to do something. I have a tendancy to put off my list of "jobs" until I "have time" or "feel like it"...I can often say "sure mom, I'll do that" and not do it until a week later! Since this was an obvious sin area in my life, I have been giving alot of attention to it. I've told myself that I will do my jobs as soon as they appear on my list, or as soon as I am asked to do them. I will let my mom know if I am doing something that I feel might be more important that I'd like to finish first. And I have committed to going the extra step and doing things with excellence, a joyful attitude, and finding other things that I can do to bless my mom. Realizing also, that I am not only doing this for mom, but I am doing it for God. Matthew 25:34-40 "Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’" Are we just suckers for pain that we want to keep ourselves in perpetual misery? 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." Runners and all athletes exercise. They must stretch and use weights to strengthen them for the race. They also must exercise self-control over what they eat...they must chose the healthy options - not doughnuts for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The stretches can burn, the temptation to eat sweets can seem so overwhelming, and the weights can seem so heavy, but the athletes know that, in this case, the short-term pain is in reality, long-term gain! If they didn't do these things, they wouldn't have a chance at the prize. They would be wimps! They might be able to get a good head start, but very soon they would fall flat on their faces, gasping for breath and unable to move...maybe even feeling rather dizzy. Without some pain, there can be no growth. Pain strengthens us and enables us to face the world with more vigor and run to the prize with more fervor. (And who would want to get disqualified just because they weren't prepared correctly? Not I!) It enables us to serve God in ways that we would never be able to if we were sitting at home in an overstuffed chair, trying to hide from pain...trying to relax and forget about doing hard things. I think it is possible to live a life void of doing hard things, but in that case, the hardest thing you will ever have to do will be to face your creator and His awesome glory on the judgement day...and explain why you wasted your time...why you are so wimpy and weak. Why do you do hard things and why would you encourage other people to do hard things too? Doing hard things is not always fun, but it always encourages growth. I want to grow, and to be worthy of the prize someday, and I want to bring honor and glory to God with my actions. This is why I do hard things...this is why I encourage YOU to do hard things too...and to do them joyfully! ~Lady Tai So - what is looming up in your life as a "hard thing"? Is it people at your job? Honoring your parents? Being generous? Telling the truth? Doing things with excellence? Putting God first? Whatever it is, hard things confront us all...and they always will. Just because we decide to press on through one hard thing, doesn't mean that we are now free-and-clear for the rest of our lives. Hard things happen, and we can't live in a hole the rest of our lives - we need to put on the armor of God, and work at whatever come our way with joyfulness and peaceful surrender to God. Everything on this earth is temporary, but what we do here can make an eternal difference. God has a plan for your life, and as you trust that he knows best - even when it gets hard - you will begin to see that his ways really are higher than ours.