Sabbath Thought – Don’t Wish it Were Easier

“Don't wish it were easier; wish you were better. Don't wish for less problems; wish for more skills. Don't wish for less challenges; wish for more wisdom.” – Jim Rohn, motivational speaker and coach

At times life can seem very uncertain. Hostilities between nations are increasing. Angry little men (in terms of character) scream at the world to pay attention to them. Despotic leaders are deposed only to be replaced with anarchy. Terrorists inflict pain on the world to show how righteous their religious or political views are. In spite of global economies tottering upon collapse, nations continue to spend money like there will never be a day of reckoning. The chosen solution for so many public problems is for the elected leadership to increase taxes or to pass burdensome laws.

On a more personal level, businesses are squeezing more work out of their employees for the same or less pay. We keep our cars longer but the older they are the more repair work they need. Monthly expenses like food, utilities, gasoline, etc. keep creeping up in cost but our income remains the same. We take care of our bodies by trying to eat healthy food and exercising only to face health challenges beyond our control (our bodies become like those old cars needing increasing repair).

It can be very easy for us to ask God to take away our trials, but we can run the risk of missing the blessing those trials can bring. I am convinced this is what the apostle James meant when he wrote, “…count it all joy when you fall into various trials,” (James 1:2). God is not a masochistic god who finds pleasure in our troubles. Rather He is the loving parent, the caring coach, who knows that hard work, determination, applying the fundamentals and seeing a matter through to its conclusion will bring a reward and growth impossible to achieve in any other way. That growth comes over time and by staying the course of consistently living and applying God’s instruction (Galatians 6:9). God is in the character-building business, and Godly character doesn’t come from a carefree or comfortable life – it comes from making right decisions in difficult times.

This is where application of Mr. Rohn’s comment above comes into play. Do we ask God to help make us better sons and daughters of Him through the difficult things of life? Do we ask God for the skills to overcome, to learn and to grow in His way of life through our trials? Do we ask God for His wisdom to face the challenges of living in Satan’s world while seeking to live God’s way of life? As a general rule it is easy not to, because doing so means hard work, diligence, and a willingness to learn in uncomfortable settings. But, things of value in this life are not created from an easy environment – diamonds and granite are formed under great pressure, gold is formed in the crucible of a supernova, the giant sequoia lives through fires that destroy other trees, and metal is made even stronger through a quenching process just to give a few examples.

God has given mankind the Sabbath day, so that every week we have an opportunity to catch our breath, to reflect on the past week and lessons learned (or missed) and to reconnect with the God of the universe. We have the blessing of Godly fellowship with people of like-mind to be encouraged, strengthened and maybe even corrected. In this Sabbath day and in the coming weeks and months, let us seek to be better, to have more skill and wisdom in what God is working in and through each one of us in bringing us to His glory (Hebrews 2:10).

Enjoy God’s Sabbath,

Dan Dowd

17 October, 2026