...Is doing what is hard."
This quote is from an article by Mark W. Gaither, published in Insights (Sept. 2007, p.2), the monthly newsletter from Insight for Living. I found it challenging to me, for, like in the life of King Saul, I find myself often doing what's right as long as it aligns with my comfort—or put another way: doing God's will when it happens to be mine as well. This is dangerous dealing and must be abandoned posthaste!
"Generally speaking, people have two important values they hope to preserve: comfort and integrity. And, more often than not, right choices are the best way to preserve both. Obedience to the law and honest dealings are not only right, but they pay good dividends—usually. However, doing what is right often requires as step of faith, and it may include a measure of suffering. That's when we come face-to-face with an ugly truth: We typically make decisions that preserve our comfort and then feel relieved when they also happen tot maintain our integrity. When doing what is right requires us to choose between comfort and integrity, the resulting crisis can be debilitating. Because the instinct to safeguard our comfort is so powerful, we will have to be deliberate about making integrity the primary value in every decision—even the easy ones."
6 comments:
God is more interested in the production of character than the provision of comfort. Man on the other hand, wants to live in the middle, a soft place that he can control.
Thanks for sharing this Ryan. Very convicting and true! It really is so easy to be on "autopilot" and just choose comfort instead of making a conscious choice for integrity even -especially - when it's hard. Ouch.
Hope everything is going good out your way! It's been a while since we've been in touch. :)
Hey Ryan,
That's a great quote! I found your site via the rebelution where I read your "Do Hard Things according to Ryan" post awhile back. I just thought I'd let you know that your post "Do Hard Things according to Ryan" is so good! I've read it several times, and it's still convicting! Well actually I usually start it, get convicted, and leave the computer =P. Thanks for writing it! God Bless You!
Devorah =)
Hi Devorah, thanks for the comment! I know how you feel. I still get convicted by my own post! Just press on to know the Lord. It's a relationship that should be characterized not by doing but by being a child—God's child!
Ryan, about a year ago you wrote a Do Hard Things article, and I wrote a rather lengthy comment. I just wanted to say that what you said in answer to my comment was really good. Thanks for actually listening to what I had to say.
Gracie
You're welcome, Gracie. I appreciated your thoughts, and they certainly made me think more about the issue, which ended up being more profitable.
God bless!
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