Why Doing Difficult Things Is Important
Life can be difficult. Oftentimes it seems as though we move from one struggle to the next. It is easy for us to dwell on difficult circumstances more so than positive ones and because of this they become highlighted in our mind as the norm. If our everyday life can be so hard, why would we want to add more difficulty? Here are 5 reasons why it is beneficial for us to regularly do things that are difficult.
1.We experience growth when we face difficulties.
Let me clarify that it isn’t the difficulty alone that causes the growth. Some people can struggle through one difficult situation to the next and it can be the same trouble over and over again and they do not experience growth or positive change. But when we go through difficulties and embrace them as opportunities and lessons we will begin to see growth. If we take an honest evaluation of ourselves the areas in our lives where we have become stagnant will begin to appear. Once we identify these areas we can make choices for growth. For instance, I was not caring for my physical health. I was not active, I was not eating well and I told myself I didn’t have time to do what I needed to do to be fully healthy. Once I identified this area that needed change, I decided to do something difficult to get to a new place. In order to get out of the rut I was in I had to do something difficult to change the pattern. Newton’s Law of Motion or Inertia explains it well,
“An object in motion tends to stay in motion, and an object at rest tends to stay at rest, unless the object is acted upon by an outside force.” In this story, the outside force is a doing something difficult. We need to find things to do that challenge us to growth. Whether its pushing ourselves physically, mentally, or emotionally, in our social circles or financially we will see growth when we make ourselves uncomfortable.
2.When we do difficult things we begin to inspire those around us to live life more fully.
People that inspire others are people who are willing to put themselves out there and try something new. They are willing to make mistakes or even fail publicly. Inspiring people face fear and do it anyway. They are not held back by the “what if’s” of life. Instead they ask, “what is possible?” What is the worst thing that can happen? If failure is the worst possibility and failure also brings an opportunity for growth, it doesn’t seem like such a hard fall. Sometimes taking a leap for change, just for our own benefit isn’t enough. Making a change or doing something difficult is more rewarding if we know we will help inspire others. When we make it about helping others and we aren’t so internally focused it can become easier to make tough decisions or take risks. When we intentionally choose to challenge ourselves and be committed to a difficult task, seeing it through to the end we should know that we will inspire others to do the same.
3.We set an example for the next generation by doing difficult things.
As parents, we want our children to be challenged and grow. We do not want them to give up when things get difficult. We want them to have a good work ethic and to be willing to work hard for something they really want. We want them to push back against the culture of entitlement and complacency. We can tell them these things until we are blue in the face, but until we show them what we mean by our own actions they will only be mediocre. If we want to raise our children to be mediocre adults then we should continue to live a comfortable life with no real challenges and no risks. If we aren’t willing to get out of our own comfort zones and practice what we have been preaching to our children then how can we expect them to live above the mediocrity of the cultural norm. If we want our kids to try difficult things, to challenge themselves, to push through and overcome obstacles and to win at life then we need to be willing to model that for them. We are either examples of pleasure-seeking complacency or disciplined commitment making a positive impact on the culture around us.
4.When we do things that are hard we can begin to impact our culture for the good.
Going against the cultural norm is never an easy thing to do. Usually when we step out and decide to do something difficult we will experience setbacks and sometimes push back from those around us. Not everyone will be your cheerleader and not everyone is going to understand your choices. There will be naysayers and questions as to why you would try to do something that is so beyond you. When we choose to step out of the status quo and do something difficult we will exact change. Like the ripple effect, each choice we make causes little changes in the world around us. As we make powerful choices that lead us to positive change we will begin to impact our world for positive change, one ripple at a time. But we must be willing to face a few waves. Most of the time when we make a commitment we will have some waves come our way. The waves could be careless comments from a friend or family member, or they could be genuine hardship that arises at a seemingly bad time. If we can push through these “waves” we will see good on the other side. We must not give up when the waves of difficulty come! We must continue the course and make adjustments and corrections as necessary, but do not give up!
5.Doing difficult things is important because it is evidence of our faith.
If we choose the easy road and attempt to live our lives struggle free, we will miss out on the opportunity to show the power of our faith. Let me emphasize here that its not our faith that is powerful, but who our faith is placed in. If we live a life in which our faith lies in what we can accomplish, we might accomplish good things- even great things. But if we live a life that requires faith in someone greater than ourselves, someone more powerful and true- then and only then will we accomplish something that will not only be great, but something that will last. Doing difficult things in reliance on the help of God is evidence of our faith and where it is placed. When we step outside of our comfort and into something greater than ourselves, it forces us to place our trust in a God who is greater than our physical abilities, emotional grit and drive for success. Then and only then will we finish well and accomplish something worth our time and efforts.
So maybe you are in a difficult season of life, due to choices of your own or choices of others around you. I want to encourage you to press into the heart of God and see what he wants to do in and through you as he helps you walk through these difficulties. Maybe you face a decision that may prove to be challenging if you should accept. Let me encourage you to submit your plans and desires to God and be willing to step out wherever he is leading you, no matter the difficulty. Who knows what blessings may come of it or who you may inspire along the way. Whatever you do, don’t settle for the status quo and spend your life looking for the easy way out. Doing difficult things is, well, its hard! But doing difficult things brings great reward when you have God’s hand leading you through. Don’t give up! Keep overcoming!