Stop Making It Too Hard

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Looking back on my life thus far, I have joys and sorrows, like anyone else. One of my sorrows is the times I made life more complicated than needed. I worked 30 hours per week in different churches in seminary and had a full class load. Yes, the experience was beneficial, and the money was critical, but the added stress made my life much harder than necessary. Sometimes life is just hard, but that means in calmer times, we should be careful not to make life too hard.

Wendy Herrmann, in her article, “5 Ways to Stop Making Life So Hard,” encourages each of us to stop overdoing it. Herrmann challenges you and me to “be honest about (y)our abilities.” If we constantly push beyond our limits, the stress can become debilitating, giving the opposite result we strive to achieve. Strive for being able to say “yes,” to life’s many obligations, but not so far beyond your skills and abilities that you undermine your wellbeing.

Next, Herrmann challenges us to stop overthinking. While thinking is necessary, overthinking can lead to paralysis through analysis, which again is the opposite result. Quieting the mind through prayerful meditation can be a positive tool to combat the “overthinking trap” as Herrmann calls it. Third, Herrmann calls us to “get unstuck.” We get stuck when the goal feels too large and unmanageable. Break down the goal into smaller manageable steps. Fulfilling each small step builds confidence and trust in our ability and God’s support.

Finally, Herrmann reminds us that “simple is also good.” Too often, we nurture the mistaken notion that harder is always better. A good guitar player will tell you that a simple chord played well is better than a complicated one played poorly. If our expectations are frequently too high, we will always feel pressured to increase complexity and regularly move from success to failure. Today, pray for the wisdom to make our lives manageable, so we have the time and energy to care for others and serve our God.