Easy or Hard?

"Would you rather have an easy life, and not produce much fruit, or have a harder life, but produce more fruit?"                    
                          
The other day I heard a gentleman say that God asked him this question. It made me stop and ask the question of myself. What do I really desire? How do I live my life? Do I want an easy life, or one that is harder, but bears more fruit for Christ?!?!

Well, friend, I will be honest and say that I don't really love trials and suffering, it hurts! I don't like things that hurt! But, I do want to bear fruit in my life and I do want to live in obedience to Christ. I want live in such a way that those who do not know Jesus, will see Him in me. And in order to do that, I need to be like Jesus. 

Jesus was perfect and last time I looked in the mirror and looked at my life, I did not see someone who was perfectly like Christ. Hmmmm, yep, last time I checked I had a ways to go to be just like Jesus in every area of my life. 

So friend, what do you say? May I encourage and challenge you to think about this question? If God was/is asking you this question right now, what would/are you going to decide? 

"God, I pray that we would so desire for Your Name be glorified, proclaimed and lifted high, that even through the suffering and pain involved in our life, we would embrace it-looking to You for strength and grace, knowing that there is a bigger picture. May we patiently walk the path, following You every step of the way. Jesus, I do want to bear fruit for You! Sometimes though, I get scared and look at my circumstances and what looms before me instead of looking to You. Help me to keep my eyes fixed upon You always.  God, if trials is what it takes to bring You the most glory and proclaim Your Name, then Jesus, may we say, 'bring the rain'."