"If We're Going To Win... It Should Be Hard."

I like things easy. People try to tell me that I shouldn't, but the reality is that I do. People say things like, "Easy come, easy go" or "You'll appreciate things more if you have to work hard to get it." And I always think to myself... "Suuuure... But you wouldn't say that if you won the lottery."

Last night I was watching the Celtics get embarrassed by the Lakers. At halftime ABC showed a recap  of the entire series. One of the clips was of Doc Rivers. He was walking toward the locker room after Game 5 and he said this, "We gotta win one in LA. It's going to be very hard. But if we're going to win, it should be hard." And it hit me. Winning should be hard.

God doesn't place things in our hand, but rather places them within our reach and makes us stretch and fight a little for them. This is the first time in my life that things aren't simply falling into my lap, and although I hate it, I love it. I love it because I feel dependent on God. I love it because I'm praying more. I love it because it's making me evaluate what I really want and what I'm willing to fight for. I love it because it's producing character within me. I love it because I'm learning how strong and weak I am. Challenges reveal the truth. How strong or weak a person is can't be determined when God is showering down blessings, but rather how a person overcomes adversity and wins despite the odds. 

Don't look for the open doors. Look for the ones that are cracked open just a little bit. All through the Bible God calls men and women to overcome the most insurmountable odds. It never looks like it's going to work out at the start. It always looks like a closed door at the start. But then God shows up, and His power becomes evident in light of human weaknesses.

Many of the challenges that have been placed before me seem impossible. But instead of focusing on my weaknesses I've chosen to fixate on His power. Maybe there are challenges befor you that seem impossible...

Letting go of a toxic relationship.
Getting over a heartbreak.
Getting the girl that rejects you all the time.
Ending a habitual pattern of sin in your life.
Becoming the man of God you know you should be.
Becoming the husband, or wife you know God has called you to be. 
Chasing the dream that haunts you.

Indeed impossible. I will never say that any of those things are possible. What I will declare though is that I worship and love a God for whom nothing is impossible. I will declare that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength.

Doc Rivers was right. Winning should be hard. That's why people that win the lottery go broke. Chase the impossible, God is on your side. And that makes all the difference.