Often, the things you really want in life do not come easily. Weight loss, knowledge of a topic, relationships, and financial freedom do not come to us naturally. All of them take work. We have to force ourselves to get up early, study, have uncomfortable conversations, and make difficult decisions. And yet, they all feel amazing once we accomplish them.

The same is true if you want a life with strong faith. If you want to be someone who loves the Lord, which overflows into a love for others, then it will also take effort. You will have to get up early or stay up late, read, listen, learn, have open discussions about things that matter, and make decisions that require you to deny your instincts. You will have to get used to being uncomfortable, feeling a lack of control, and not seeing immediate results.

I wish I could tell you that being a growing follower of Jesus is a life of certainty, and everything will be easy, but that is simply not true. It is a life of work, just like most things worth having.