Choosing the Hard Way

When my son was in preschool, he decided to give himself a haircut. After I realized what he'd done, I remember him saying so very seriously, "I was trying to help you out, Mommy!" Fortunately, the big chunk of hair he cut off the top of his head was fairly easily disguised with a much shorter haircut, and now it's just a funny story. Too often, though, I'm tempted to live my life like that. Instead of taking the time to do things the hard way, I try to do it quickly and with less struggle, like cutting off a huge chunk of hair instead of going to a salon. I want to take the easy way, because, well, it's so much easier!

Our scripture reading for today is about Jesus being tempted by Satan. One of Satan's temptations is for Jesus to take the easy way out by not going to the cross. The devil shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world and promises them to Him if only He will bow down and worship him. At first, this doesn't seem like a temptation, because why would Jesus ever want to worship Satan? But then I realized that the devil was telling Jesus He could take the easy way out. He wouldn't have to go to the cross; Satan would give Him all the people He was trying to redeem anyway, and all without the anguish of crucifixion or separation from God the Father. Now that's a temptation! But Jesus refused, and He ordered Satan to leave Him. Then He spent the next three years preaching, healing, loving, and finally dying for us without ever taking the easy way.

I don't know what you might be facing today, but maybe the temptation is strong to ignore the hard way and do what's easiest. In thinking about this blog post, I realized that I have to do the hard work of forgiving someone, and frankly, I don't want to. It would be so much easier to just sweep it under the rug instead of working through the feelings and frustrations and coming through on the other side really forgiving them. I have a friend who's posted for over a year about her own journey toward healing things from the past. It's been hard, but she's such an inspiration to me and many others.

Whatever the Holy Spirit has put on your heart today, may God give you the grace to do the hard work instead of taking the easy way. And you know what I love about the end of this passage, after Jesus says "No!" to all three of Satan's temptations, "angels came and attended Him" (Matt. 4:11). May we today feel the grace of the Holy Spirit as we live in obedience, the hard way.

Lenten reading for today -- Matthew 4:1-11

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