Change is hard. New Year’s Resolutions are hard. Turning around old habits is hard. Starting new habits is hard. It is hard to study more or to become a reader. It is hard to begin eating right. Or to begin an exercise program. All new goals are hard to reach. First, you must overcome your own habits. Second, you must overcome inertia—the fact that you are sitting still—and begin moving. Third, you must overcome your expectation of easy success: we expect things to be easy; we expect to be good at things. But new things are hard, and most of us are prone to self-pity and giving up. Thus, rather than celebrate small victories, we beat ourselves up over our seemingly large failures.
But if you can overcome these four, if you can conquer (1) your habits, (2) your inertia, (3) your expectation of easy success, and (4) the temptation to feel sorry for yourself and quit, you may face a fifth challenge: (5) actual enemies who will work against you and try to prevent you ever reaching your goal.
The Jews returning from Babylon to Jerusalem were busy building a new temple. First, their enemies offered to help them with the construction, a suspicious move that the Israelites saw through at once. “We alone must build the temple for Yahweh, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded us” Ezra 4:3.
Then the enemies of Israel began bribing officials “to act against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of King Cyrus” Ezra 4:5.
Next, the enemies began a letter-writing campaign, slandering them to the new king. “the Jews … are rebuilding that rebellious and evil city … Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are finished, they will not pay tribute, duty, or land tax, and the royal revenue will suffer” Ezra 4:12-13.
Finally, the new king forced the Jews to stop work, apparently for 16 years.
“But God was watching over the Jewish elders” Ezra 5:5.
God allowed discouragement. He even allowed the new king to temporarily halt progress. But God was watching over His people, and they did eventually achieve their God-given goals. “Then the Israelites, including the priests, the Levites, and the rest of the exiles, celebrated the dedication of the house of God with joy” Ezra 6:16.
If you are trying to achieve something good, if you are working toward a goal that will enrich your life and honor God and grow His kingdom, do not be discouraged.
“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary” Galatians 6:9.
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