“Too hard!! Too hard!!”
The short but often repeated phrase of the mentally challenged child has become his trademark response. Little William, now 11 years of age biologically, but about 5 years old mentally, attempts to persuade his mother that he is not capable of completing a task that she has asked him to do.
He continually relies on his favorite excuse. “Too hard!” If he can just convince his mother that the task asked of him is too difficult then she won’t make him do what he either doesn’t want to do or believes that he is not capable of doing.
“Make your bed, William,” she kindly instructs. “Too hard!” William says so innocently and helplessly.
“Put on clean clothes for school, William.” “Too hard!” he pitifully tells Mom as he attempts to get out of going to school.
But when is “too hard” no longer cute?
I don’t know how his mother is able to keep a straight face with him. William is such a sweet, cute, and lovable child. He smiles continuously. Every time that I am around him, I just want to hug him and hear him talk so sweetly. He has such a curiosity about life. He continually asks question after question until one tires of answering the never ending drill of inquiries. But he is so cute. And when he declares that something is “too hard”, even that is cute and makes me smile.
But when is “too hard” no longer cute? Well, for one, when you hear a grown, healthy man continually behave like a child by saying, “It’s too hard. I can’t do it. Don’t make me do it.” You just want to tell them, “Would you just grow up? You CAN do it!” Their behavior is no longer cute, it is irritating and frustrating, at the least.
There comes a time in everyone’s life that he is expected to take responsibility for his own actions, behaviors, and attitudes. He is no longer given the same amount of leniency as when he was younger and less experienced. Even this precious, mentally challenged child is expected to strive to do more than he believes that he is capable of doing. Even William is made to stretch toward becoming as mature as he possibly can be. His mother knows that the more she makes him work at being responsible, the more healthy he will be and the more he will appreciate his accomplishments. She will be so proud of him. Plus, he will enjoy pleasing his mother!
What is it that is “too hard” for you to accomplish right now? Is it breaking an addiction or bad habit? Is it putting up with a loved one’s addiction? Is it separating yourself from someone who has a destructive addiction, or from someone who IS a destructive addiction of yours? What is “too hard” for you?
In Matthew 19, Jesus asked a man to do something that seemed to be “too hard.” He was a man with much wealth, power and reputation. This man was willing to follow the commandments of God. He was willing to do much that was asked of him by God. He lived a good life, a very good life, indeed.
This fine, respected man inquired of Jesus whom he also respected greatly, “Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may obtain eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “If you wish to enter into real life, keep the commandments.”
The earnest, determined young man then inquired of Jesus, “Which commandment?” And Jesus said, “ You shall not commit MURDER; you shall not commit ADULTERY; you shall not STEAL; you shall not BEAR FALSE WITNESS; HONOR your father and mother, and you shall LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
The man confidently told Jesus that he had kept all of those commandments. “So since I’ve kept all of those rules, what am I still lacking?” he asked of the Lord.
Jesus then instructed the man, “If you wish to be complete and mature, don’t just keep the rules. Go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.”
With those simple instructions from the Lord, the rich young man said “too hard” to himself, and very sadly and with much anguish walked away from Jesus. It was too hard to give up his heart’s desire. It was too hard to give up the thing that he found to make him the most satisfied in life. It was too hard to renounce his greedy heart and ego by giving up his material possessions so he could gain what Jesus called life. Giving up his own heart’s desire was just “too hard”.
Jesus didn’t just ask this man to give up “stuff”. He was asking this man to give Him his heart.
When Jesus asked the rich young man to go sell his possessions, he wasn’t asking him to just follow another rule or commandment. He was asking him to give up the addiction that had hold of his heart. He did not own his possessions. In fact, his possessions owned him. And he wasn’t willing to change that. He wasn’t willing to give up his idol of money and possessions and reputation and so-called control in order to follow Jesus. “Sorry, Lord, too hard”.
After that young man left Jesus’ side, the Lord told His disciples, “With men this is ‘too hard’, but all things are possible with God.”
You see, Jesus didn’t just ask this man to give up “stuff”. He was asking this man to give Him his heart. But he couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t do it.
So I ask again. What is “too hard” for you to give up in order to have the fulfilling, abundant, joyful, satisfying and exciting life that the Lord intends for you?
Go a step further and ask, “Is it really too hard or is it, in fact, that you choose to keep living life the way that you are familiar and the way you desire to live? Is it really too hard or is it really that you are choosing the way that feeds your earthly passions and lusts and appetites? Is it really too hard or is really that you are choosing to live life according to your own pleasures and desires rather than those of Jesus?”
Jesus said, “Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. No one of you can be My disciple who does not give up all” Luke 14:26.
Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father.” Luke 9 23-26
The decision is yours.
Will you humbly and gladly give up all of yourself in order to find the full and meaningful life that the Father has in store for you? Oh, how He desires an abundant and exciting life for you! How proud He would be of you!
Or will you be like the grieving rich man who walked away with much regret and shame…leaving Jesus behind him.
Jesus desires to bless you with a true, satisfying life as you make the choice to humbly follow after Him. Are you willing to put your pride aside and let Him give you a life that you have always longed for?
Lord, choosing You is too hard when my heart is so deeply entangled in the pleasures of this world. I give you my heart, O God! I want to sell out and give all of myself to You!
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