Home  Relationships When does life (and work) get easy?
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When does life (and work) get easy? |
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By Curt Edge
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It doesn't. Focus on the destination and not on obstacles on the path.
Haven't we all gone through periods in our life when things seem difficult? My guess is few, if any, people go through life without conflict, pain or sorrow. Sometimes it feels as though we are destined to be constantly embroiled in some kind of inharmony! When does it end? When does our life become the proverbial bed of roses?
Well, I had a wake-up call on this recently. I am on a project that is filled with conflict and anxiety. The project is complex and has a large, diverse group of managers leading it. We have made amazing progress over the past year, but progress comes with its fair share of pain and aggravation. Several of the group were talking the other night and someone shared a couple of thoughts with me that really helped.
While we were discussing (complaining) about our constant state of conflict, and wondering when it would end, one of the group said the following: “Jesus’ path didn’t get easier!” As Jesus progressed, his challenges didn’t lessen, in fact they become even bigger! That was enough of a statement that I had to pause and think about it. My thought was, yikes! You mean it's not going to get easier? Not exactly what I wanted to hear.
The conversation continued. Jesus’ path was not easier, but he recognized each step of progress he made along the way. As he looked more and more at the progress that was being made, he looked less and less at the conflict. He focused on the victories, regardless of how small or large.
What was I focusing on – the conflict!!!! Aaaargh!
I guess what I took away from the discussion was that progress is made step-by-step, not by orders of magnitude. The conflicts we have along the way are proofs of progress, but they are also necessary for our spiritual growth. We find proof when we look away from the conflict, and focus on the victories.
After all, each step toward good is a step away from bad (evil)!
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