Why does it have to be so hard to follow Jesus? Do you ever ask yourself that? We want to obey and serve Him, but it always seems to be a battle. Why does the road to Heaven have to be so narrow? (Matthew 7:13–14) A better question might be why God provides a road at all! One sin makes us fall short of God’s requirement to live in eternity with Him. (James 2:10; Romans 3:23)
Every day we prove over and over how unworthy we are to be in His presence. (Isaiah 64:6) The gate isn’t just narrow, it’s impossible to pass through. (Matthew 19:26) Instead of focusing on how difficult it is for us to live for Christ, we should focus on the amazing mercy and grace that allows us to live at all. (Ephesians 2:4–5; Titus 3:5)
We all want life to be easy. It’s not that we mind the work; we sometimes even enjoy it. But if we had the choice, most of us would prefer a smooth, wide pathway through life. We don’t want trouble, pain, sorrow, hunger, or poverty. Give us the best this life offers, and we’ll be content. “Easy” is a lie from the pits of hell. Satan wants you to ask God, “Why does it have to be so hard?” so he can offer you an easy alternative path. Of course, the easy way is an illusion. What’s behind the curtain is eternal torment and suffering. (2 Thessalonians 1:5–9; Revelation 20:15)
Look at the life of Jesus. He is our model, and the only man who ever lived a perfect life. Yes, He was 100% God. But in a way we will never understand and only He could make possible, He was also 100% human. While He lived a perfect life, it wasn’t an easy life. He experienced hunger, thirst, temptation, poverty, loneliness, rejection, betrayal, and violence. (Hebrews 4:15; Isaiah 53:3) There’s nothing easy about any of those things. There was nothing easy about the way He was spit on and beaten. Nothing easy about the thorns that were shoved into His head or the nails driven through His hands and feet. (Matthew 27:29–30; John 19:17–18) If His life was so hard, why should we expect anything different?
Jesus said the world will hate us. (John 15:18–19) He warned us in advance that we would have trouble in this life. (John 16:33) To ask why it has to be so hard is to reduce ourselves to spoiled, whiny children. Life is hard because Satan is spewing evil and venomous sin into the perfect world God gave to us. (Genesis 3:1–6) This world is no longer our home because Satan has defiled it. (1 John 5:19) We struggle because we don’t belong here. (Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 13:14) Our bodies weren’t made for sin, but we bathe in it every day.
Why does it have to be so hard? Because if life were easy, we would never understand our need for a Savior. (Luke 5:31–32) We would drift through life indulging in any and everything that brings us comfort or pleasure. If life were easy, we wouldn’t know how sinful we are. (Romans 7:7) We wouldn’t know how much we need Jesus. (John 15:5) Embrace the difficulty. It’s what drives us to Christ and shows us how amazing He is. The hard stuff pushes us to our knees in fear and repentance, desperate for forgiveness and mercy. (2 Corinthians 7:10) Don’t wish life were easier. Wish you loved Jesus more. He is the reason for everything, the light at the end of the tunnel, and the prize for running the race. (Philippians 3:13–14; Hebrews 12:1–2) He is more than worth the struggle.