Tired of Tough Life?

 

I don’t think anyone on this planet earth who would intentionally choose to live life on the edge, constantly. We prefer to live life in our terms - comfortable, rich and to have all the pleasures of this world within our reach. However, we are ignorant at times of the fact that the ultimate comfort and luxury come at a price. People cross boundaries, cut corners to achieve it. Oscar Wilde is a great example of a man who was known to live a life on his terms. He was both famous and infamous for his wit, flamboyance, and affairs with men. He was tried and imprisoned for his homosexual relationship (then considered a crime) with the son of an aristocrat. In his novel “the Picture of Dorian Gray” He states this, “You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit”.

The comforts of life don’t sharpen our attitude and our character. Whereas it’s the pressures of life that shapes us to be a better human being. If you observe people who have gone through tremendous challenges and crisis, they have stories to inspire and motivate us. Whereas people who lived on their terms may flaunt of all their experiences but deep down have incidents and stories of regrets.

I love to use this following inspiring illustration to explain my point.

The Japanese have always loved fresh fish... But the water close to Japan has not held many fish for decades. So, to feed the Japanese population, fishing boats got bigger and went further than ever. The further the fishermen went, the longer it took to bring the fish. If the return trip took more time, the fish were not fresh. To solve this problem, fish companies installed freezers on their boats. They would catch the fish and freeze them at sea. Freezers allowed the boats to go further and stay longer. However, the Japanese could taste the difference between fresh and frozen fish. And they did not like the taste of frozen fish. The frozen fish brought a lower price. So, fishing companies installed fish tanks. They would catch the fish and stuff them in the tanks, fin to fin. After a little thrashing around, they were tired, dull, and lost their fresh-fish taste. The fishing industry faced an impending crisis! But today, they get fresh-tasting fish to Japan. How did they manage?  To keep the fish tasting fresh, the Japanese fishing companies still put the fish in the tanks but with a small shark. The fish are challenged and hence are constantly on the move. The challenge they face keeps them alive and fresh!

Have you realized that some of us also live in a pond tired and dull because of all the comforts at our reach? Basically, in our lives, new challenges are the ‘sharks’ that keep us active and in a good shape. Jesus promises which are recorded in the Bible says this, “You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”.  Your challenges keep you energized. Don't create success and celebrate in it in a state of inertia. But if you are overladen with burden and too weary, you can come to the Savior and ask Him to help you. You will never be ignored. Jesus, the Savior of the world, conquered death and rose to victory. Your problem is not bigger than His death and resurrection.

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