Is Your Life Difficult?

If being a Christian is hard- you're doing it all wrong.

Mat 11:28  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 

Mat 11:29  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. 

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

How can we equate those words of Jesus with our heavy laden Christian walk? How can we say Christ's yoke is easy, and Christ's burden is light, if we truly believe it is extremely hard, and a burden weighing us down at every turn in the war against our flesh?  Can it be we aren't wearing the right armor? Or possibly that we aren't using God's sword? Was it at all likely that we decided at some point to exchange our spiritual God given armor for armor we made ourselves? We can be sure of this- for whatever reason we've held fast to the idea that being in the Christian war is hard and a heavy burden we've have been deceived.

One thing is certain- it wasn't Christ who put the hard and heavy burden upon us.

Satan wants us to groan under the perceived weight of our Christian armor. If he can get us to focus on the WEIGHT of our Christian life, he is filled with happiness. Satan twists our thoughts and encourages us to face our obstacles with the mental cries- this is so hard, why is this happening to me, this is too much, I can't bear this anymore, how much more can I take, this hurts so bad, life is so hard.  Add your own favorite go to cry if I've missed it, they can take on so many forms. 

The fact is, as long as we are focusing on the WEIGHT of our lives, the many, many weights piled on top of us, we are taking our eyes OFF of our Savior. And, as long as we take our eyes OFF our Savior, that weight will continue to grow. That weight becomes a living force upon us. That weight will shift, twisting and turning, falling off us only to deceptively be trailing behind us waiting eagerly for an opportunity to hitch another ride upon our spiritual backs.

There is NO doubt, no one is saying being a Christian is easy…. WAIT! Stop right there! Hold up!

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

WHAT?! No, no, no, and NO!  Does our Savior even know what He's talking about here?! Maybe it was easy for Him, but for us it's downright HARD, all but impossible! He even said this….

Mat 7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 

Doesn't that mean it is going to be too hard for most people?

No. It means there IS a way to life, but few are going to accept and live in that life- finding it and once finding it keep in that narrow way. There is a way and we are told….

Joh_14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Jesus is that way.

We are told by Jesus…

Mat 11:30  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. 

But then we are told by God through Paul…

Php_2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Doesn't fear and trembling mean it's something hard and heavy, this salvation life Jesus is offering us, even though we have to work it out ourselves?

Ah, Satan jumps in and dances around this verse holding it in his arms as a loving partner, wanting all to see it his way as he twirls the partner in dips her low in deception.

God through Paul is telling us that obeying God's directives that offer the insight into salvation, must be guarded by us because temptation to disobey will be everywhere.  No? You don't get that from reading that verse, then study it further. Get a good Bible app, program, physical Bible and the helps they offer in Greek, and use the many scholars to compare their knowledge of Biblical language etc. and truly dig deep for the wealth of knowledge in that verse. DO NOT let Satan's dance glaze over your eyes, blinding you to truth.

Just because we can (by the grace of God) let's read further for more context.

Php 2:13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. 

Php 2:14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings: 

Php 2:15  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; 

Php 2:16  Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain. 

Php 2:17  Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all. 

Php 2:18  For the same cause also do ye joy, and rejoice with me. 

Now, does laying a BURDEN, a heavy burden, hard to accomplish upon someone and then telling them to rejoice and feel joy sound logical?

Yes, there are going to be TONS of heavy burdens and hardships coming our way but WE have heavy burden and hardship deflecting ARMOR and WEAPONS that SHOULD have us counting it ALL JOY!!!!

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations

Php 3:8  Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ

Co 11:24  Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.  (((39 STRIPES - WHIPPED 39 TIMES))))

2Co 11:25  Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;  (((BEAT WITH A ROD,  HUGE ROCKS THROWN AT HIM RELENTLESSLY, THREE TIMES CAUGHT IN SINKING SHIPS AT SEA))))

2Co 11:26  In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; (((FACED ROBBERS, THE WRATH OF MEN EVERYWHERE HE WENT))))

2Co 11:27  In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. (((TIRED, IN PAIN, HUNGRY, THIRSTY, COLD, NAKED))))

2Co 11:28  Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. 

2Co 11:29  Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? 

2Co 11:30  If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. 

2Co 11:31  The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. 

And yet… he counts it ALL joy, he glorifies GOD through it all!

2Co 12:9  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 

2Co 12:10  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. 

The men who experienced the life of a Christ follower were not given lives of ease, free from pain, anguish, anxiety, fear, anger, horror, torture, etc.  Their heavy burdens, their hard lives were awful! How did they manage to live through it all with joy and glorying in God? How?!  What kept them from being overwhelmed by a Satan attacked life? They LIVED IN CHRIST, with CHRIST IN THEM and they BELIEVED IT! They lived lives TEMPORARY to ETERNITY! They were but pilgrims here! They were living for the ETERNAL reward! They had their treasures IN HEAVEN, with CHRIST'S promises! THEY were NOT focused on themselves! They were NOT living for their lives to be ones of ease, light and as burden free as possible- that wasn't their goal to keep the awful things of life out of their lives, but rather to face those awful things, go head on into those awful things with CHRIST.

I said at the beginning of this if being a Christian is hard you're doing it wrong and I stand by that.  Christ, and the hope He gives us through the salvation found only in Him is our life and as long as we recognize HE is our life and HIS burden is LIGHT and yoke EASY, we focus on HIM as our LIFE, and not our life's circumstances as our life- defining how we should react. 

God help us all, always! Let Christ be our all in all!

Col_3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.