God is not our boss; he is our father. He calls us into his work because he loves us and wants us to grow. Whilst he tells us clearly enough that the work will be hard, he also gives us grace to continue. God’s grace extends to us both in the sustaining ministry of the Holy Spirit at work in us and in the ordinary means of grace such as good food, comfortable beds to sleep in and things to enjoy. These are the means God uses to sustain us in the work.

Evangelism is hard. Let’s not soft peddle it – I find it hard, everyone else I know who does it finds it hard and the people who won’t do it typically refuse because its hard. Without doubt, evangelism is difficult. It is relationally tough, emotionally draining, culturally awkward, socially odd at best and barely acceptable in polite company at worst. Pressing through all of that and still trying to hold it together to credibly explain the gospel to someone in words they might understand is most definitely hard.

That is not, therefore, a reason not to do it. Since when has something being hard ever been a decent reason not to bother doing it? Jesus never said following him would be a bed of roses. Those of us expecting to follow Christ and be on easy street have, frankly, failed to understand the gospel, failed to properly read the words of Jesus and not understood the tenor of scripture on the Christian life.

We share the gospel because we love Christ and we can do no other. We do it because the Lord tells us to do it and we love him and want to serve his glory. We do it because, if we don’t, people face a lost eternity that is far harder than anything the Lord calls us to do here and now. We do it because we know that God is a good father who loves us – who could do it all on his own far better without us – and so calls us to do these hard things because they work to our eternal good. So, for all those reasons (and maybe some others) we do what is hard for the Lord even though it is hard. And that is entirely right and proper.

So why are we often so intent on making what is already hard – that the people doing it recognise is hard and are (hopefully) doing with the best of God-glorifying motives – even harder than it has to be?

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