He Gives Us Burdens
Nothing worthwhile will ever be accomplished if every obstacle must first be overcome. Portion of all progress is surmounting difficulties. Normally, the accomplished in life are those undeterred by conundrums and willing to face consequences. Understanding that gains are most often incremental, they don’t rely on a homerun to win the game. Opposition is expected and fallout accepted. It would be nice if exertion were not part of excellence, but it is precisely the expenditures that separate leaders from the pack.
There is no accomplishment without opposition and every opportunity presents obstacles. When achievement is unearned, it ceases to be achievement at all, and a sense of entitlement follows with accompanying discontent. It is nice to receive but satisfying to earn. The sense of having worked for something engenders real gratitude. Things given are often overlooked or discarded. Did you ever go through a teenager’s closet and find clothes with the tags still on them? They even forgot they were there.
Problems need not make us fear attempts. Uncertainty is our constant companion, but we dare not live lives of inaction. The longer we put off destiny, the more ominous becomes the storm and the more onerous seems the chore. It’s hard to start anything new, but procrastination seldom gives an advantage. The lion in the streets is not likely to seek new lodgings unless traffic increases. Some people win the lottery, fewer keep the proceeds, and most have to work for a living.
Obstacles give flavor to life. A great part of the enjoyment of any game is the thought that the contest must be enjoined and mastered for there to be a celebration. It is not fun or challenging to repeatedly engage in pursuits in which victory is assured. I like to win, but winning is not the only thing. It is the struggle to attain that makes the game worthwhile. Life is more a journey than a destination. When our feet tire of walking, we know that the end of days is not far away. Game, set, match.
The struggle to overcome is of mixed origin. It is true that Eden did not hold the grueling tasks we face on earth today, but it is also true that humankind was designed for work- even in paradise. God put Adam and Eve in the garden to tend it and on the earth to rule it. Even lives lived in close communion with God will face opposition and toil. Such labor will not break us. It will enrich and give meaning to our lives. The Lord gives us burdens to bear, crosses to carry and jobs to do.
Taken another way, labor in hostile environs was not God’s original plan but the result of sin and sinfulness. We bring problems on ourselves. Obstacles may result from the general effects of sin on society or be self-creations, but we must overcome them in either case. As in all other areas, grace trumps the fall. God uses the difficulties in life to teach, train and mold us into the image of His Son. We are better people for the pain and problems placed in our paths.
Charles Spurgeon said, “There will be no crown wearers in heaven who were not cross bearers on earth.” Do not fear to face the fray. When tempered by the sweat of the brow, victory is most sweet. Everyone loves a good story, and the day will come when the struggles of life only remain as memories and tales to be told.
And when the battle’s over we shall wear a crown. We will understand that even defeats were for our good. The tapestry of our lives was woven by God unseen and according to His design.
Sterl