It Ain't Easy, But It's Worth It

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:3-5

There is a trail up the Poudre Canyon, almost to the top of the pass, that is named Montgomery Pass Trail. I have hiked this trail several times. It is about two and a half miles to the top. It is fairly short, but it is steep. I mean, real steep. It is one of those trails that doesn’t really let up. Just when you think it might level off for a bit,  it turns, and up it goes again. It immediately gets the lungs burning and the quads pumping. It doesn’t sound like a ton of fun to hike, and you are probably wondering why I have hiked it several times. The reason is that when you get to the top, the view is absolutely amazing. It overlooks a huge, beautiful basin that is framed by the tundra of the mountain. There is a little spot in a group of trees that you can sit in the shade, have a snack, and soak in the vast beauty of God’s creation.
Living a life following Jesus is often like a hike up Montgomery Pass. It often seems pretty hard. It sometimes seems like an uphill grind. Raising kids to follow Jesus in our world is hard work. Following Jesus in the workforce, where most people follow the desires of their own hearts, is hard work. Striving to love our neighbors as ourselves when it doesn’t seem reciprocated is hard. Forgiveness when we have been wronged is hard. Seeking forgiveness when we have wronged is even harder. Confessing and repenting of our own sins is hard to do. But here is the thing. It Is Worth It! It is so worth it.

The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 5 that we are to rejoice in these difficult things because they are worth enduring. They are worth enduring because in vs. 1 of chapter 5, Paul says we have peace with God through Jesus. He goes on to say that we have access to eternal hope through faith. What Paul is saying is that we have something better than a great view at the end, we have an eternal, certain hope in God’s glory when we have faith in Jesus.

As you climb Montgomery Pass, there are several places where the trail encounters a creek that is worth stopping and enjoying. There are other places on the trail that actually stop you in your tracks because of the beauty that is laid before you. There have been many times I have encountered deer, elk, and moose on my way up, and I stop and take it in. All worth it because if I had not started up the trail, I would never have experienced such amazing things. The Christian life is like this as well. Yep, it can be hard, but along the way, we get to experience some really cool things. We experience God’s working in our lives and the lives of others. We experience Him shaping, molding, and strengthening our faith in Him as He makes us more like Jesus. Paul says it produces Character that produces hope that does not put us to shame. Worth it!

So when following Jesus gets tough, look for the beauty of God who is working in you to strengthen your character and cling to the hope that does not put to shame. It is worth it.

Oh, and if you ever want to hike Montgomery Pass, I am in!