Choose Your Hard
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33
Not too long ago, one of the health and fitness accounts I follow on Instagram started posting a lot of content aligning with the phrase “Choose Your Hard.” The posts centered around this theme that no matter which path you take when it comes to your health, fitness, and wellness, it’s going to be hard.
For instance, it’s hard to eat healthy and limit your consumption of junk food. But it’s also hard to deal with the negative effects that unhealthy eating has on your body. Or it’s hard to work out multiple times a week, but it’s also hard dealing with the aches and pains that come from a sedentary lifestyle. So you have to choose which “hard” you’re willing to deal with.
The more I thought about that phrase, “Choose your hard,” the more I realized how much it applies to every single area of our lives, not just health and fitness.
Jesus promised us that we would have trouble in this world. There’s no way around it. Life is going to be hard no matter which path we choose to take. The question is: Will we take the path He’s marked out for us even if it requires us to do hard things?
We have to choose our hard.
Let me give you a few examples.
It’s hard to leave a group of friends that isn’t honoring the Lord, but it’s also hard to deal with toxicity and gossip.
It’s hard to admit you need professional help and counseling to overcome your anxiety and depression, but it’s also hard to continue to suffer in isolation, not knowing how to move forward.
It’s hard to set physical boundaries with the person you’re dating, but it’s also hard to wrestle with the repercussions of going further physically than you should have.
It’s hard to take that leap of faith that you know God is leading you to take, but it’s also hard to live with regret.
It’s hard to be vulnerable with people and let them know how you’re really doing, but it’s also hard to go through life with nothing but surface-level relationships.
It’s hard to be single and hold fast to your standards, but it’s also hard to be in a relationship you know isn’t God’s best for you.
It’s hard to admit that you were wrong, but it’s also hard watch your pride hurt someone you care about.
It’s hard to fully surrender every aspect of your life to Jesus, but it’s also hard to try to live a double life.
These are just a few examples to get you thinking, but the main point is that when it comes to following Jesus and living a life devoted to Him, we have to choose our hard. Like I said before, Jesus guarantees trouble and difficulty while we’re still here on earth. There is no easy way out. It’s hard to take one path and it’s hard to take the other. But the key is this: the difference is in the aftermath.
The consequences, the repercussions, and the rewards that you will reap as a result of choosing the hard that honors Christ are so much better than if you choose a different path. Scripture promises that we will reap what we sow. And that means if we sow faithfulness, obedience, and trust, we will reap the benefits. But first, we have to choose our hard.
So friend, is there an area of your life where you’re realizing you may need to choose a different hard? Do you need to make some changes to the way you’re living and the decisions you’re making? If so, my prayer for you is that the Lord will give you courage, strength, and boldness to choose the hard path that honors and obeys Him. And as you do, He will see your faithfulness, and He will walk with you every step of the way.