Why You Should Do Hard Things

I push aside beige and blue, blacks and grays, as the material brushes my fingertips.  Rough denim turns on the hangers with the scent of clean but used consignment clothes.  My hands turn from one to another article of clothes, yet I feel my eyes wandering.

Across the store, a darker-skinned woman with her back turned slightly towards me.  She picks up a pair of shoes and holds them up to an older woman.  Lines crease their face as she thrusts them back, and they wander down the aisle.

I stand watching, my feet stuck to the ground as everything within me begins to burn.  A still, small voice whispers in my ear, but I try to thrust it away.

Go to them.

I shake my head.  How could I approach two strangers with nothing to say?  How could I offer a smile to faces I've never seen?

Go to them.

The voice continues to prod, push me forward.  My face is on fire.  I feel like a racehorse is galloping in my chest with each thud of my heart.  And in the moment, I have to decide who to listen to.

I used to think I would be bold and brave when I grew up.  I would be that beautiful adult who faced the world without fear, living courageously for what I believed in.

But so far it hasn't happened.  I grow older, but I'm still me.  I still struggle, fear, and face decisions that that make my fingers grow numb.

The wonderful thing is that God is still God, and when I grow weak, He is only stronger (2 Corinthians 12:9).

That's why we do hard things.  Not because it's fun or exciting but because it allows us to admit our inability and let Him work in and through us.

This journey started when, as a young teenager, I read Do Hard Things by Alex and Brett Harris, and the book changed the way I saw life.  The pages made my hair stand on end.  God wants me to do hard, scary things?  He wants me to live radically?  How could I do that when I am so weak and afraid?

But ever since then, I've been on an adventure - seeking to do hard things because then Christ can work in me.

I fail more than I win.  But every time, He picks me up and lets me start again.

What if Noah in Genesis 6-8 had let fear get between him and God's perfect plan?  What if he hadn't walked with God amidst uncertainty, hadn't built the ark to deliver his family from a seemingly impossible death, hadn't stood strong when persecution arose?  What if the taunts and logical voices had drowned out the Voice that spoke truth before the storm?

But Noah did hard things because he trusted in God.  It didn't make sense, it wasn't enjoyable, but he pressed on anyway.

And, like Noah, we must,

...be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 

- 1 Timothy 4:12

Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 

- 1 Timothy 6:12

Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

- 2 Timothy 2:3

When I walked across the store and gave a hug to two strangers, it didn't make sense.  Everything within me wanted to run away and escape the burning feeling inside my heart.  But for once, I ignored the fear and did it.

There have been countless other times when I succumbed to the temptation and avoided the hard thing God brought before me, and every time I realized that it's more painful to disobey than to obey even when obeying seems to tear you apart.  Doing hard things is what we are called to as Christians.

Whether it's making your bed in the morning, smiling at someone who doesn't deserve it, not allowing "introvert" to define you, memorizing a chapter of the Bible, or sharing the Gospel, I challenge you to do hard things.  Be the Noah of our generation who stands up and walks with God.

It's always worth it.

Not long ago, I had one of the most lovely weeks of my life.  During the Glory Writers Retreat, I had the opportunity to fellowship with amazing ladies who have a passion for Christ and for using the gifts He has given.  But even then, I had to do a hard thing.

I had to make the decision to do something I've never done before.  I had to resist panicking when my dad drove off, leaving me with people I barely knew.  I had to take a deep breath, trust God, and know that He is always good.

But like Eric Ludy writes,

Heroes are not made through grit, self-determination, or by pulling themselves up by the proverbial bootstraps. True Heroes are the product of Jesus Christ's grace, His divine and loving determination, and His pulling us up from the depths of our sin. 

Yes, we fear.  Yes, we are broken.  Yes, we're not strong enough.

But with Christ,

...I can run against a troop,
By my God I can leap over a wall.
As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the Lord is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

- Psalm 18:29-30

So I choose to do hard things, not because it's easy but because God is always good.

What hard things are He challenging you to do with in your own life, my friend?  Saying the word, sending the letter, giving the hug, whispering the prayer?  Don't give in or give up.  God is there, a shield to all who trust in Him.  Sometimes the smallest hard things can make the biggest differences in life.

Press on.

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear...

- 1 John 4:18

~♥~