I read the following…

Hard times make strong men,

Strong men make good times,

Good times make weak men,

Weak men make hard times.

History certainly bares this out. One of the labels thrown at people in our day is…

“You are soft.”

While many times the accusation hurled at another is misplaced and thrown out maliciously, there is still truth buried underneath those words.

When life is comfortable and going smoothly it is very tempting to take the easy road and not make hard decisions. We let things slide because we think it won’t matter or make a difference. We don’t want to make waves or stand out or be criticized.

History also tells us that some of the greatest difference makers chose to do hard things instead of the easy: Olympic athletes train, instead of sleep in. Brilliant minds study when others party. Leaders stand for what is right and take the road less travelled. Courageous people choose the hard right over the easy wrong. Jesus chose the way of the cross over the whims of the crowd.

We want to take some big steps at Immanuel in 2024, but it won’t happen unless we make some hard choices. Why don’t we choose to make 2024 a HARD year?