Do the Easy Thing
My seven-year-old grandson was with me the other day when I was doing my stretches to rehab my new knee. He saw me lifting myself up onto the step with my healing knee and observed, “That’s not so hard.”
He was right, of course.
It isn’t that hard to take a single step up, even with my weak knee, even fifteen consecutive times, as the therapist directed.
Some of my exercises and stretches do seem a little ridiculous. They’re not what you would call performance art.
But the people who know what they’re talking about say that doing those exercises faithfully will, over time, bear good fruit in my life.
So, yes, my grandson is right. It’s not that hard to perform most of my exercises; most of them are repetitive and, frankly, boring.
But even though most of my exercises are simple and not taxing, it is the doing of them over and over again that will eventually bring about my healing. Those simple, repetitive motions will stretch and strengthen my muscles and get rid of the hitch in my giddy-up.
Life is a lot like that.
Some things are hard.
-- It is hard to tell the truth when it will embarrass you or someone you love.
-- It is hard to tell yourself no when all your instincts are screaming, “Yes!”
-- It is hard to admit when you are wrong and apologize sincerely.
And we must sometimes do the hard thing.
But most of the time, in between the hard things, most of the things we need to do are not hard. There are simple and repetitive things that we must do over and over again. They are the good habits that sustain and maintain our lives.
Our mothers told us all these things. And they were right.
-- It is not hard to brush your teeth twice a day. But it is essential to good dental health.
-- It’s not hard to treat others courteously. But it is essential to healthy relationships. Mom was right about “please” and “thank you.”
-- It’s not hard to turn off the TV or put away the phone and go to bed. But it is essential to getting good sleep.
The same thing is true in our spiritual lives.
I heard someone once say that making Jesus Lord isn’t something you do once for all. You surrender your life to the Master (a hard thing), and then you spend the rest of your life ratifying that monumental, life-changing decision in a series of small, daily choices (tens of thousands of easy things).
Doing the hard thing takes a certain amount of courage. But it also takes courage to do the easy things over and over again, even when we are bored, even when it seems that doing the easy things doesn’t seem to be making a difference.
-- It’s not hard to read or listen to the Bible and reflect on what you’ve heard. But it is essential.
-- It’s not hard to notice a lonely brother or sister who needs encouragement and offer a kind word. But it is an essential part of living in Christian community.
-- It’s not hard to talk with God about what’s on your heart: what burdens you, what causes you anxiety, what troubles your conscience, how grateful you are for the kindness He has shown you in Christ. It’s not hard to pray, but it is essential.
-- It’s not hard to befriend someone in your workplace or neighborhood, someone who might be hearing God’s Spirit speaking to them, drawing them to faith. It’s not hard to befriend someone who doesn’t know Jesus, but it is essential. It is essential for you as a matter of obedience (Jesus told us to make disciples). It is essential for your friend because they won’t know the Good News about Jesus until someone tells them.
So, yes, when the moment of crisis comes, we need to be prepared to do the hard thing.
But today, in the everyday world we live in all the time, let’s commit ourselves to doing the easy things.
And let’s keep doing them.
Over and over again, trusting God for the results.
Persevere.
Paul Pyle
Discipleship Pastor