Why is Life so Hard? And What Can We Do About It?
Once again, I am noticing all of the hurting people around me. A local teen with a fast growing, terminal, brain tumor, and several adults with unexpected cancer or other serious medical diagnoses. Young women who have been used and abused, who can't escape their past trauma, and still more with mental health issues that drag them down. I know some people, mostly women, whose bodies have betrayed them, some long ago, and some who are fighting more recent autoimmune diseases. All around me, men and women are angry, addicted, conflicted, grieving the loss of someone they love, or just plain lonely.
So, what can we do?
If you are like me, you want to make things better for those who are struggling, especially when they are people we know and care about. But, I am not a doctor and, even if I were, I still couldn't cure the most invasive cancer, or even a common cold. I can't prescribe medication for people who need it. I can't stop any addict from abusing their drug of choice. I can't make anyone follow my advice, even if I am sure that it will make their lives better. I can't bring back a loved one who has died. I can't fix other people's lives!
All I can do is offer my presence, some emotional support, a hug, a listening ear, or perhaps a home-cooked meal. Sometimes, I can run errands, or assist with housecleaning or childcare. I can make a donation, now and then, to assist a family who is struggling with overwhelming medical bills or funeral expenses. And, of course, I can pray, knowing that God is the only one who can truly give much-needed guidance, strength, comfort, and peace to those who will let him.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Beyond that, or perhaps I mean along with all of that, I only have one thing to give, but it is the most important thing of all: love.
It isn't easy to love the unlovable people around us. It would be so much simpler to just give some of them a piece of my mind: shape up, get yourself together, do the right thing, just stop, enough is enough! But harsh words are rarely the answer anyone needs. Instead, all people need to know they are loved, regardless of circumstance, right where they are, in the middle of the chaos.
I know this because that's what I need, too, when life seems overwhelming.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
We will all struggle through difficult times. If you haven't yet experienced any hardship in your life, I have just one thing to say: you will. There is no doubt about it.
Jesus had much to say about this:
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:30a
Why does life have to be so hard? And what can we do about it?
I know the simplest answer to the first question. Since Adam and Eve first sinned in the Garden of Eden, death is an inevitable fact of life. From the moment we are born, our bodies begin to die. We deal with the consequences of sin, whether our own or someone else's, every day. We don't like it. We can't prevent it. And, no matter how hard we try, we can't fix it.
So, what can we do?
If you are like me, you want to make things better for those who are struggling, especially when they are people we know and care about. But, I am not a doctor and, even if I were, I still couldn't cure the most invasive cancer, or even a common cold. I can't prescribe medication for people who need it. I can't stop any addict from abusing their drug of choice. I can't make anyone follow my advice, even if I am sure that it will make their lives better. I can't bring back a loved one who has died. I can't fix other people's lives!
All I can do is offer my presence, some emotional support, a hug, a listening ear, or perhaps a home-cooked meal. Sometimes, I can run errands, or assist with housecleaning or childcare. I can make a donation, now and then, to assist a family who is struggling with overwhelming medical bills or funeral expenses. And, of course, I can pray, knowing that God is the only one who can truly give much-needed guidance, strength, comfort, and peace to those who will let him.
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Beyond that, or perhaps I mean along with all of that, I only have one thing to give, but it is the most important thing of all: love.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
It isn't easy to love the unlovable people around us. It would be so much simpler to just give some of them a piece of my mind: shape up, get yourself together, do the right thing, just stop, enough is enough! But harsh words are rarely the answer anyone needs. Instead, all people need to know they are loved, regardless of circumstance, right where they are, in the middle of the chaos.
I know this because that's what I need, too, when life seems overwhelming.
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
We will all struggle through difficult times. If you haven't yet experienced any hardship in your life, I have just one thing to say: you will. There is no doubt about it.
Jesus had much to say about this:
In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33
Love your neighbor as yourself. Mark 12:30a
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34
Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:12b-13
Quite often, life is hard, but we are here together, in good times and bad. We really do need each other. We really need to love each other, one hurting person at a time, whether we agree with each other, or not. Most of us won't be asked to lay down our lives for our friends, as Jesus did, but with his help, we can treat each other with love and respect--even when it's hard.
Quite often, life is hard, but we are here together, in good times and bad. We really do need each other. We really need to love each other, one hurting person at a time, whether we agree with each other, or not. Most of us won't be asked to lay down our lives for our friends, as Jesus did, but with his help, we can treat each other with love and respect--even when it's hard.
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