The Beauty on the Other Side of Discomfort

This past spring, I bought a reel mower. My neighbors thought I was crazy.

I didn't buy it for ease of use because it's not easy. It takes far more effort than my self-propelled electric mower. But I bought it because of what it does for my lawn. The cut is cleaner, more precise. The result is dramatically more beautiful. That was my deciding factor, not how hard it was to push.

Sure, we all have limits. But most of us set our limits far lower than necessary—mainly for the sake of comfort.

Here's the truth: the good choice is often the hard choice.

Now, I'm not advocating for seeking difficulty just for its own sake. That's not noble, it's masochistic. But we must be honest: easy choices are often easy because they don't require us to stretch. They don't force us to think differently, work harder, or grow deeper.

Comfort rarely builds character. And left unchecked, it leads to stagnation.

The Business of Comfort

This is exactly how businesses lose their competitive edge. They keep choosing short-term wins over long-term values. Efficiency over mission. Familiar over future. Eventually, they stall, wondering why innovation passed them by.

The same pattern plays out in our spiritual lives.

Once we experience some level of transformation in Christ, it's tempting to settle into comfortable routines. We choose what's convenient, not what's Christlike. We stop asking "What's shaping me?" and start asking "What's easiest?"

But spiritual growth is never passive. It's not about maintaining where we are, it's about becoming more of who we're meant to be.

So here's the challenging question: What difficult choice are you currently avoiding?

The Cost of Growth

If we base our decisions purely on what's easy or convenient, we risk becoming stuck—professionally, relationally, and spiritually. But when we count the cost, embrace the challenge, and choose what stretches us toward our long-term goals, we discover deeper joy, fulfillment, and maturity.

Church history bears this out. Very few people who lived deeply Christlike lives had it easy. Many suffered significantly. Many surrendered comfort. And many changed the world as a result.

Our culture worships comfort. Jesus didn't.

In Luke 14:27, He said, "Whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." He wasn't being metaphorical—He was being crystal clear. He followed up with practical examples: if you're building a tower or going to war, you count the cost before starting. Otherwise, you're being foolish.

Then Jesus drives the point home: "Those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples" (v.33).

He's not calling us all to monasticism. He's calling us to stop making comfort-based decisions and start choosing what builds Christlike character.

The Daily Choice

So, where are you currently choosing comfort over growth? Convenience over impact?

Every time I push that reel mower across my yard, feeling the resistance, working up a sweat, but seeing the beautiful results, I'm reminded of this fundamental truth:

Beauty lies on the other side of effort.

The question isn't whether you'll face difficulty. The question is whether you'll choose the difficulty that leads to growth, or accept the stagnation that comes with always taking the easy path.

Every time I mow my lawn, I am reminded of this choice :-)