Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water.
— Zen Proverb
What does it mean to be righteous? What does it mean to have your heart changed or to receive Christ’s image in our countenance?
It is easy to imagine that we will someday arrive at some hoped for milestone where all our problems will be solved. It is a tempting fantasy that someday we will reach a point in our spiritual progression where everything will magically get easier. But this is just a fantasy. There is no point when everything just becomes easy.
Challenges and trials will still come. Life will still be hard. When we turn our hearts over to the Lord, the trials won’t stop, but the Savior will help and strength us. He will give us the help we need to overcome the obstacles we encounter. This is help we can have now as we strive to come unto Christ.
As we grow spiritually, we will still have to chop wood and carry water, but we won’t have to do it alone. And we don’t have to wait for a distant future where the help we come. We just have to reach out to Him and we can receive His help now.
How can relying more on the Lord help give you the strength face your challenges? How can you take steps today to get that help in your life?