Why is Life so Hard

It is part of our social composition to want to better our lives. We’re constantly bombarded with advertising that strongly suggests that if we don’t have the latest gadgets, or the latest fashion statement, we may as well jump off a bridge…at least some perceive it this way.

We work hard and honestly and we struggle to make ends meet. But at times it seems as if we’re farther behind than when we started. As we watch the years pass by ever faster and faster, we can grow impatient and can even fall victim to despair: Why is life so hard? I try to do the right things, so why don't I have more to show for my efforts? Why do cheaters always prosper? Does God really know or care what's going on? What kind of friend is God? After all this time, what reason do I have for believing that virtue really pays?

The prophet Malachi summed up those fears and frustrations when he quoted some of his own contemporaries: 'It is vain to serve God; and what do we profit by keeping his command?' That is surely the way it seems at times. And when those times come, we need to have an answer that is deeply etched in our soul, an answer that comes from the inside.

That answer won't be there, on the inside, if we've been living our life totally on the outside. If our 'spirituality' has consisted of 'getting our visa stamped,' just showing up at church and putting in our time, then we won't have come to know the Lord, we won't have come to see the world through His eyes, and there will be no answers and no spiritual power within us.

If on the other hand, we've come to know not only the words, but the Lord who gives life and meaning to the words, then when the inevitable doubts and challenges come, we'll know the truth on the inside and no words will need to be spoken.

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Our gracious God, we rejoice when we come to know You better. Remain within us throughout this day. Guide us, protect us and let Your love be our driving force always. Amen

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