Ah, so it doesn't get easier

[David]

As we see from the old testament, as the Israelites began to see and trust in God, their lives immediately got harder!

Exodus 5

6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”

Do you guys follow what I'm saying? Have you seen any examples of this or experienced this in your own life? This is playing on the idea that it is in some respects easier to just sin and not worry about it, but as you start to realize your sin, everything starts pressing in on you.

[Julia]

I see what you're saying. I think hardships are another way of helping us grow, just like recognizing sin helps us grow. New hardships are also evidence that we HAVE been growing, since God apparently sees we're now ready for something for which we formerly weren't prepared. Right after I got back from Summit I noticed little things popping up in my life that challenged me to use the things I learned. Yes, I would say life gets harder as you go along, but God is always equipping you for the new and difficult stuff ahead!

[leuke]

Yes...I don't think I've ever read anywhere in the Bible where God promises things will get easier. In fact, for us in the land of America, where life is ridiculously easy compared to other countries, life gets much harder, or at least should, because we now have something to work for. Excuses to be lazy or pointless vanish.