Years ago, my daughter was writing her exams. I noticed she wasn’t preparing for the next day’s paper, so I asked her, “Aren’t you going to study for tomorrow’s exam?” Her response shocked me. She said, “Tomorrow is Mathematics, and Mathematics is very simple.” I still made her study anyway. But her response taught me something profound.
Friend, stop generalising struggle (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). What is difficult for you is easy for someone else. It is ignorance or lack of exposure to think everyone is struggling like you or finding it difficult in areas where you are struggling (1 Kings 19:18). Truly, not everyone is struggling.
Sometimes, we find comfort in generalising failure. It feels soothing to think everyone is struggling, failing and suffering like us. But that is the language of mediocre people. They generalise failure so they won’t take responsibility to make things happen in their own sphere (Proverbs 22:13).
Like my daughter, I learnt early that Mathematics is not difficult. Thanks to my older siblings and those who went ahead of me, they helped simplify a seemingly difficult subject and showed me the way around it. That is exactly what you need – people who simplify life for you (Ecclesiastes 10:15).
When you find someone who simplifies complex or difficult things for you, you have found a mentor and a coach (Acts 4:13). Mentors abound everywhere – in ministry, career, business, marriage, etc. You must humble yourself to learn from them, or you will live a frustrated life and delay your success.
Grace is what makes difficult things easy (1 Corinthians 15:10). When you see someone operating in a dimension of grace you don’t yet have, don’t envy him. Celebrate him and tap into what he carries. What you attack you can never attract. Desire the grace you lack by praying into it and connecting vitally with its carriers (1 Corinthians 12:31).
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria
