"Make It Look Easy" - The Truth About the Christian Life
I was in a workout class the other day, pushing myself through a grueling set, when the instructor barked, "Make it look easy!" What he meant was, "Put enough hard work in so that this grueling physical task doesn't look grueling." Do enough burpees that people don't see you sweat.
Now, I've never been a big believer in that mindset. Partly because, well, I sweat... a lot. If I even think about exercise, I start sweating! But more importantly, I don't like the phrase "make it look easy," especially when it comes to the Christian life.
The Danger of "Easy" Christianity
So often, we hear testimonies that make Christianity sound simple. People focus on the answered prayers, the blessings, the mountaintop moments. They talk about the joys and paint a picture of black-and-white conversion stories.
And while those experiences are real and valid, they don't tell the whole story. Honestly, that hasn't been my experience, nor the experience of most of the people I've had the privilege of pastoring. Real change and growth rarely come from one answered prayer or one fleeting moment of spiritual high. More often, they come through trial, error, failure, and frustration.
The Reality of Romans 8
This Sunday, we're going to be diving into Romans 8, a chapter that includes the powerful promise: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." It's so easy to focus on God making everything good, but the real truth is that God is using all things for our good. And "all things," in the context of this chapter, includes persecution, hardship, and suffering.
Christianity isn't a detour around these things; it's the power to get through them. When we're going through difficult times, our goal isn't to "make it look easy," but to stay close to Jesus. While this might make our suffering look different, it won't always make it look easy.
Even Jesus Didn't "Make it Look Easy"
Remember, Jesus wept at Lazarus' tomb. Scripture tells us he was deeply moved and troubled by the reality of death. He didn't make it look easy when he faced the cross. He didn't make it look easy when he prayed in the garden of Gethsemane. He didn't make it look easy when he wept over Jerusalem.
If I've ever mistakenly presented a picture of faith that "made it look easy," please forgive me. Life is a struggle. But that struggle has purpose, meaning, and hope.
Finding Comfort in Life and Death
This Sunday, as we explore Romans 8, we'll also be asking ourselves: What is our comfort in life and death? The answer isn't easy, but it fills me with hope.
That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and 1 death—to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.
As we enter this new year, with all the joys and sufferings it will bring, we might not be able to make it look easy, but we can make sure Jesus is glorified in everything we do.
With you,
Pastor Tim
