Why Life Can Be Harder Than Expected And What Can Be Done To Help

 

There are moments when we can think-

Is life supposed to be this hard? Why does it feel like I am never getting a handle on life?

For some people, it can seem a long, uphill journey……..like it never gets easier or positive for any length of time. Barring trauma or tragedy, I am referring to the on-going type of struggles where some feel they can’t catch a break.

These thoughts and feelings are normal. They have plagued mankind since sin entered the picture, but that does not mean they are to be our norm.  It is a common trap we can find ourselves experiencing, but God does show us in the Bible how to identify two root issues that may be at play. Recognizing the root cause is the first step to countering the negative momentum being felt.

In my chronological Bible, there are two passages from two different books located across from each other, so it is easy for me to see their similarities and significance. They both deal with the rebuilding of the temple as the Jews returned from exile back to their homeland.

The first passage is from Ezra 4:1-5, where the story is told of the opposition the Jews experienced as they began their construction plans. From the get-go, they had people who butted in to the business of their faith and the house of the Lord. These people were correctly identified as “enemies ” of Judah and Benjamin and it says in verse 4-5,

Then the peoples around them set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to go on building. They hired counselors to work against them and frustrate their plans…….

I find this so interesting. Why on earth would others concern themselves with what the Jews wanted to do in their own land? What business was it of anyone else if they rebuilt the temple of their God?

Then I remember how these other people were labeled as “enemies”. That reminds me of our Enemy today, and how he was their Enemy back then as well. There may have been humans conspiring against the Jews in flesh and blood but they were only acting by his purpose. It says in Ephesians 6:10-12,

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

It is a sobering thought to know of an Enemy bent on the detriment and ruin of God’s people. He is out to discourage and frustrate lives today just as he was back then in Ezra’s day. He has plans to make life difficult for those who love the Lord. 

Knowing this helps us recognize the first root issue that may be the reason life seems difficult. Spiritual warfare is a fact of life on this earth until we are called home to heaven or Jesus comes back. That is why being grounded in the Word where we can recognize what is happening and in a local church where community and support can be given is vital. God gave us the Bible, His church and His Holy Spirit to fight the spiritual battles that are part of our time on earth.

He is more than able to equip us to fight successfully against these enemies of our faith, just as He did with Ezra and the Jews as they eventually persevered and completed their task. As we read how others in the Bible persevere and navigate through hardships, we learn the skills needed to overcome our own. It is a life-long process that gets easier as we grow in the spiritual maturity God intends for us. Day after day, month after month, year after year, we are equipped and capable of handling the schemes intended to overwhelm us. What makes our hope spring eternal is how Jesus described in John 16:33, although we will have trouble in this world, in Him we can have peace and overcome! But this is a learned process that comes from time and attention given to His Word, His church and His Spirit.

The second passage is from Haggai1:1-15. It describes the call to rebuild the temple for the exiles as well, but it focuses on a problem that arises in the process. As the Jews gave way to the discouragement and frustration described in the Ezra passage, they ceased construction on the temple and instead started rebuilding their own homes.

We have to remember that our Enemy doesn’t care about us personally, only in regard to our faith. So he could care less if God’s people work toward their own home plans. He just didn’t want them being faithful to rebuild the temple. So the people had an “easier” time focusing on themselves rather than being obedient to what God had called them to, but at the same time, they were not as blessed in their lives as when God blesses obedience.

Verses 5-11 reveal the reason why they feel like they can’t  get a grip on life and get ahead.

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build my house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the olive oil and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.”

Although their lives were “easier” by ceasing to persevere in fighting against spiritual warfare, their lives were not successful or rewarding. They were spinning their wheels without much to show for it. Work was being devoted to their own plans, but little was being achieved. They had lost God’s blessing of favor and abundance due to their selfish priorities and spiritual neglect. 

So this is a second root issue that may be the cause of life feeling harder than expected on an on-going basis. When we are devoting our time to our own priorities over His, then we can feel just like the Jews with life leaving us weary and insufficient. God makes it clear we are to seek Him, His kingdom and righteousness, and He will give us all we need (Matthew 6:33).

Are we cheating God out of our time and attention toward His plans for us? Are we prioritizing our pleasures and pursuits over His? Then maybe that is why we feel like we can’t get a handle on life, even as we run after it full force.

Let us learn the difference between what we cannot control and what we do to ourselves. May we go to God and seek His perspective on why “life” is harder than expected. By growing in spiritual maturity to handle the spiritual warfare that is inevitable, and recognizing when we are giving way to selfish priorities or spiritual neglect, we can have the peace and abundance of Christ, making life rewarding no matter what momentum comes against us.