Make things easy for me
(John 6:60) Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
How often have you heard the words, “This is too hard, I can’t do it!” After hearing it you just shake your head and wonder how that person is going to get along in this life. The sad fact is that many do not make it in this life unless someone makes it “easy” for them. (Could you imagine an athlete in training for a competition asking for his/her coach to make things easy for them?) Our government has over stepped the boundary of aiding people in need and produced a nation of people who expect everything to be made easy for them. Our nation was founded upon hard work and not giving up just because things do not go right or seem too hard. The Great Depression showed the true character of many in this nation and from that terrible time many accomplishments and successes brought about a prosperity that no other nation has experienced thus far. If many today had to endure the hardships of the Great Depression they would be eliminated from citizens in life. Numerous young married couples try to begin life together at the same stage that their parents or grandparents live at the present, not realizing that they began very humbly and with little; but with hard work and patience they now enjoy a better quality of living.
In the text verse some of the disciples of Jesus ceased to follow Him because He made some statements that were difficult to understand and follow. Too many young Christians (and maybe older ones also) think that the Christian life is going to be a “cake walk” and not an upward battle. They want what they want and they want it now. They do not want to have to endure any difficulties, sufferings or hardships along this Christian pathway. Many have bought into the “prosperity” gospel preaching and teaching that says if you are a Christian then you should never be poor or sick. When they go through financial difficulties they are often told they do not have faith or if they experience an illness, they are once again told they do not have sufficient faith. They hear the words of Scripture that says, “by His stripes you are healed” and take it to mean they will always be healed and not experience sickness. They hear the words of Jesus who said “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”, and believe that they will always be wealthy or at the least never experience any financial setback.
A famous preacher once preached (and believed) that falsehood and ended up in jail. While in jail, he researched and found out that the word “abundantly” was in reference to spiritual abundance and not financial and it was a rather rude awakening for him. It is sad to see so many fall into this mindset in their spiritual walk and end up either giving up and becoming an angry and embittered person; or they never reach the full potential God has for them if they would only allow the difficulties of life to motivate and move them in the direction of God’s will.
The Christian life will be filled with great and marvelous blessings if we get rid of this mindset and allow God to work in us of His will and purpose.