Taking the Hard Road

Courtesy jerichoschools.org

Many times we equate difficulty with value.  The more effort we put into accomplishing a task, the more value we give to it.  However, that value system doesn't always apply to our spiritual life.

I recently have been experimenting with a different version of the Bible.  I decided to try a more easy-reading version than the one I have currently been using.  As I read the newer version, I found myself thinking that something must be wrong because of how easy it was to read it.  That got me thinking.  Can believing that harder is better take us down the wrong path regarding our spirituality?

Struggle a Part of Life

The Bible often speaks about struggles.  When Adam and Eve made their dreadful choice to eat the forbidden fruit, God said that their (and therefore our) lives were going to be filled with pain and struggles.  Later in history, God commended the patriarch Jacob for struggling with Him, and finally the writer of the book of Hebrews scolded the believers for not struggling enough.  It appears that struggle is simply a part of life, but what happens when we misapply this call to struggle?

Sisyphean Spirituality

Sisyphus, a character found in Greek and Roman mythology, committed a crime.  His punishment  was to roll a large boulder up a hill, watch it roll back down the hill, then roll it back up again, for eternity.  A "sisyphean" task therefore is one that goes on and on and accomplishes nothing.  Many believers throughout history have been practicing a sisyphean spirituality.  They try and try to be a better person, yet they don't get anywhere.  What is the solution to such a fruitless endeavor?

The Grace Solution

The words of a song sung by Larnelle Harris entitled "Were It Not for Grace" puts it well.

Were it not for grace
I can tell you where I'd be
Wandering down some pointless road to nowhere
With my salvation up to me
I know how that would go
The battles I would face
Forever running but losing this race
Were it not for grace

So if you find yourself "forever running but losing the race", take the time to learn more about God's grace.  More importantly, take the time to experience it for yourself. You'll be glad you did.

What has experiencing grace done for you?  Share your story in the comment section.