So I read (but cannot verify) that our generation is getting ‘too soft’; so soft that it has been said that in the United States, the army has to revamp its training regimen.
If all our institutions are reflections of our society, it also means that they absorb the society’s norms and values. As one of the oldest institution on earth, is the church producing ‘soft’ Christians as well?
By ‘soft’, we mean people who are unable to take hardships, have difficulty persevering and break easily. By being ‘soft’ we refer to people who are unwilling and unable to make sacrifices, give up material comfort and lack stamina to endure hardship. Translated in biblical terms, it points to a generation of Christians who cannot follow through with long term tough commitment.
In a nutshell, it says, ‘when the going gets tough, the soft gets packing.” This is all bad news for the gospel. Our Lord promises sacrifices, blood, sweat and tears to all who calls Him Lord. He says the road is narrow, the way tough and only those willing to endure hardship and pay the price of the cross will make it to the end. Disciples of Jesus must be tough mentally, steady emotionally, firm morally and prepared spiritually to go for the long haul. We cannot be ‘soft’ in our follower-ship.
But lest we think we are on our own, the Lord also promises to empower us and be with us till the end of the world. The glory will come after the cross, this He assures us. If we keep our focus on Him, on the joy that is set before us, we shall be able to make it to the end.
And through it all, we will build resilience, become stronger and develop character. We shall not be ‘soft’.
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