Often times it is asked, "why is it so hard to be a Christian?"
Well, the answer is, it doesn't have to be. Usually the difficulty is provided by us. We look at the quantity of the laws and commandments and allow the numbers to overwelm us. Regarding that circumstance, it really isn't that difficult, for even Jesus said that all of these can be summed up in two commandments of loving God, and treating your neighbors as yourself. All of the law is summed up with love and treating people right.
A second area of difficulty comes with impersonation of holiness. This is the main area of this message that I want to explain. It is hard to be what you are not. Somewhere in the various faith movements we seem to have gotten the impression that being faithful is achieved by lying to ourselves, denying our troubles. Faith is not ignorance. We are not meant to ignore our weaknesses and struggles, because that won't take them away. We are not meant to ignore our sins, but rather confess them so that we can be forgiven and healed from them. It is true that we speak things into existence, but this is done with a voice for change. We must declare good things to come, and bad things to be taken away, but if we don't confess that it is there, it cannot be changed by our faith. What sense would it make for us to walk around throwing up on everything saying, "I'm not sick." That's not faithful speaking, that's just a lie. We would still acknowledge it but just not accept it as final. It can be compared to temptation. Temptation will come, and it would be crazy to say that it is not there when you're looking right at it, but even though it is there, we don't have to accept it. You might get a hateful thought in your mind, but that doesn't mean that you have to receive it; you don't deny that the thought entered, but once it enters just rebuke it's presence. The faithful declaration of "I am healed" is a term of action. Speaking in faith is using verbs, not nouns. The situation that we are acknowledging is a noun, because it is exists as its own entity or circumstance, but the words of faith are verbs, because they are works of action. When we are living in denial, rather than operating in faith, it definitely will cause stress in our lives, because we are putting on a show and being fake rather than real. They say that in AA, the drunk must first admit that he has a problem (confession), before the healing can take place, and so is it with our situations. Let us stop being like the hypocritical pharisees, faking righteousness when we are corrupt, and instead humbly admit our faults (even if it is just to ourselves and God), so that those faults can be taken away. This is when the burden will be lifted, for in order for a burden to be removed it must first be found. I pray that this may touch all hearts and minds, that we may begin to release the thorns from ourselves rather than just trying to cover them up, and therefore gain and receive the greater freedom and peace in Christ, in His holy name, Jesus, amen.
By the grace of God,

Kelvin