Don't Pray for a Lighter Load, but a Stronger Back

     "Pray not for a lighter burden, but a stronger back." This old Proverb is so applicable to us today, seeing as how so many of us want things to get done but don't want to do the work it takes to see it through. As Christians we know that we're supposed to work for the Lord, but how often do we stop when the job gets difficult, or when it goes outside of our comfort zone? Maybe we don't want to do the work because we are lazy, or because we know someone else will step in and do it if we don't. We see so many examples of Christians who served God to the fullness of their potential and didn't stop when it got rough or scary - we see this in the lives of  Abraham, Noah, Moses, Joshua, Ruth, Paul, Joseph, Mary, and SO many others. They didn't stop when the work was tiring or heavy, but they pushed through and reaped so many positive results because of that.
     I found this cartoon on the Internet and I think it perfectly sums up the importance of enduring the burdens that God asks us to carry, for we need them in the end.

     We are guaranteed hardships in this life, and there are crosses that we're going to have to carry. Each of us have to go through struggles in different ways at different times, but God lets us go through that process so that we can grow. Working for the Lord may get tiring and hard to bear at some points, but we will be able to use that trial to get through what God needs us to get through. This cartoon man kept begging for a lighter load, when he really should have been praying for stronger shoulders. We need the struggles and pains in this life to help us grow and achieve great things for God. When we pray for a lighter cross, sometimes God answers that prayer, and it may seem good at the time. We see this guy with the little music notes over his head - he's a happy camper. But then we see that he needed that cross, he needed that burden in the end, so he could make it through the real danger. Just like that little cartoon guy, we need our cross to get through the battles. So don't pray for a lighter cross, but pray that God would give you the strength you need to carry it until the end. 

 Stay excellent!