It Shouldn't Be That Hard

So I went on a small walk today.  I was listening to a podcast while also pondering over a previous podcast that I had listened to.  The podcast stated "The measure of our faith is perseverance".  I was thinking that this walk I was on was feeling pretty rough.  And then I thought to myself "Well, if I had kept walking throughout the summer, then this walk would be much easier"  but I didn't, I quit walking.   And then I thought "It shouldn't be that hard".  But isn't it, though?  I think that too many times, we put deadlines on things.  "When I get to this age, I will do this", "When I have this much money, I will do that", "I just need to lose X amount of lbs", "I just need to watch what I eat for 21 days" - We even do this in our spiritual lives.  I remember when I first started going to church and attended my first bible study.  I asked the pastor, while using my hands as an illustration, "I feel like I used to be here, and here is where I am supposed to be, but here is where I am, right in the middle - how do I get to where I am supposed to be?" As if there is a final destination in our spiritual walk with Christ here on earth. I have since realized that there is no final destination here on earth.  We are always on a walk with Christ - there is no "If I read the bible once through and attend church every Sunday for a year and do good deeds, I will accomplish being a Christian"  We can't put a timeline on our walk with Christ.  That's why we are instructed to persevere.  We are going to have struggles in life.  Our perseverance proves our faith.  Perseverance doesn't mean we have to go through the struggle alone.  The Bible tells us to surround ourselves with people who will encourage us, teach us (you know, iron sharpens iron). And struggles are different for everybody.  My struggles now are totally different than they were just over a year ago.  And next year, my struggles will be different than they are now.  And my struggles just a little over a year ago were a lot different than they were 2 years ago.  Some of those struggles, I brought on myself by not persevering and having faith that God would take care of me and so I tried to take care of things on my own.  I realized today on my walk that just like our spiritual walk with Christ, in our earthly life, we also have to persevere.  We can't just  start a diet, start an exercise program, start medicine and counseling to help with mental health all to just quit because it is hard - we have to persevere.  It shouldn't be that hard.  But it is - and I believe that is because we make it hard.  We overextend ourselves with our schedules, whether it be work, kids, house or personal schedules - we over extend ourselves.  We have to intentionally choose to make choices each and every single day to do what is best for our mind, our body and our spirit to help us persevere. 

Here are some things that I am doing to help myself persevere - please comment below with some of your suggestions.

1. Spent time everyday with God.  It might mean that I wake up early to read the Bible or a devotional or both, or take my lunch break to read.  But no matter what, carve time out of my everyday to spend with Him.
2. Learn to say "no" and realize that someone else can (and will) do the thing.  This is a hard one for me, however, it is refreshing to have some free time.
3. Realize that time goes by no matter how I spend it, so I need to spend my time in the best way possible, with like-minded people.  I do NOT need my mind cluttered with negativity.  
4. Know that there is not a time-frame for health.  I don't need to lose 50 lbs by October 10th.  But I do NEED to choose everyday to make a conscious effort to  live a healthier lifestyle - to set some time aside each day to do some form of exercise.  This takes a lot of perseverance on my part - choosing to keep going, when it isn't easy.  
5. Keep my Dr. Appointments up to date.  This includes my physical and mental health.  Mental health is just as important as physical - after all, I feel like perseverance has a lot to do with fighting off a lot of negative mind-talk and satan (you know, the little voice that tells you that it's hard, to just quit, that it's not worth it).  

 James 1:2-4  tells us to count it joy when we face trials.  Whether your trial is weight loss, financial problems, struggling with your purpose in life or just feel like if there is something bad going to happen, it will happen to you.  Stop and take a look at your life - ask yourself what you are doing to persevere, to make things better for yourself - you might even need to ask for help - and then go to God in prayer.  Know that this journey isn't intended for a deadline - we should always be working towards more (spiritually), and working to better ourselves and appreciate those little "hiccups" that cause us to stumble and learn.