No Guarantee for an Easy Life for Christians

I just gave some thoughts why God would not grant Christians an easy life.  Instead, Jesus had already spoken too many times in the four Gospel accounts of His life in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John to watch out for trials and persecutions more than blessings, He didn't promise His followers constant supply of bread from Heaven nor do always the multiplication of bread and fish, instead He promised them that their life will even have to face hunger, scarcity and even the worse forms of trials are just on the road ahead.  In fact, it is one of the reasons why I could sometimes question God with this, "LORD if you are aware that some people will not come to Jesus because you don't promise them an easy life, why do you still continue to promise more of this and that, misery, hardship... etc.  People are suffering, dying, why LORD why?"  That's a pretty hard question I might even ask God sooner or later when I face Him because seriously, this world is driving me nuts and my only hope is in Jesus Christ.  So why no guarantee on an easy life?

I began to think of these reasons could be why God set a hard life for Christians instead of an easy life:

1.) An easy life on Earth would drive Christians to the worldly things instead instead of reminding them that this world is not their home

Assuming God would make every Christian a millionaire, billionaire, etc. as the phony prosperity Gospel preachers tell their followers, it would create the entire problem of just for worldliness.  Christians were saved to serve, not to sin and how can a Christian who gets heavenly manna daily, gets all that multiplication of fish and bread daily, or maybe to get more and more money ever be active in soulwinning?  Soulwinning requires time, effort and even sacrificing one's money like foregoing one's trip to Hawaii for the week and donating that money for the LORD's service instead of that pleasure trip.  As said, there is always a cost to count for the Lord's work and if Christians are not allowed to suffer, they will just think too much that this world is their home even when the proof of financial losses, wrong decisions, depreciation of properties, etc. are proofs that this world is not going to last, earthly treasures may sooner or later be stolen.  In fact, think of what may have become of the wealth of great businessmen when they later get squandered or the wealth of Solomon was squandered by some of his descendants.  In fact, Christians were not designed to live on this sinful world forever- they have their home in Heaven, not this miserable world that's going to meet its Judge!

2.) An easy life on Earth would be a greater temptation to sin than when God sets trials to Christians

The problem of giving Christians their abundance is this- it takes away their attention from God and focuses them to this world.  In short, they will always be late for services, they will skip services, go to the beach or malling on Sundays instead of going to attend fellowship.  In fact, when one is in so great abundance, one tends to forget God is greater than the blessings He provides for the life of the believer.  Perhaps that is why God tried Job with terrible affliction- boils over his body, loss of wealth, family and that his wife wasn't helping him either telling him to "Curse God and die."  What became the issue of Job was that in his comfort, he had some kind of self-righteousness that needed to be weeded out from him.  How did God handle it?  It was only when Job was out of his comfort zone did he see the LORD's purpose of life.  God allowed Job to prosper and only He knows why He allowed it.  In fact, when David was starting to try to live a life of ease, it was when he was at ease that he sinned horribly with Bathsheba, and it was only when God gave David a severe trial that was too hard to handle, i.e. the loss of his first son with Bathsheba that broke David and humbled him.  David's fellowship with the LORD was restored thanks to family troubles.

3.) An easy life will allow worldliness to choke the testimony of the believer

In a competition, one can only savor the victory of the trophy if they ever won it without trying.  The triumph of Christ was the cross, before the crown comes the cross and Jesus showed it.  As said, don't think it's easy to become a Christian because it cost the Father His very own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ- His life had to be given up for the sake of destroying death and rising to restore life to whosoever believes in Him.  In fact, Christianity spread not during the easier times but during the harder times.  For example, the Apostles all faced difficult times but despite those difficult times, they grew plenty in numbers.  During the Dark Ages, Christianity prospered the more severe trials it had.  The Christians showed the world something else worth living for than a world that will perish anyway and signs are showing like increase of pollution thanks to mankind's wickedness, the unstable economy thanks to man's greed, than a life that will not last, than technology that will just phase out.  Christianity prospers more in countries where the faith of people are severely tested than in the "safe haven" zones.  In fact, I am expecting another revival for America when the faithful remnant of Christian Americans now boldly oppose the immoral squares that banned the Bible from the public schools than when it was "all easy" for America.  

4.) An easy life does not mature the believer at all

In knowing the parable of the sower, we notice that the sunlight had to come to make the plants grow.  The sun represents the trials and tribulations of life, the plant represents the person.  Now there is the good soil hearer, the Word of God is the seed but listen, it cannot grow without any trials in particular.  Try to lock a plant away in a darkened room, will it grow?  No the plant will not grow but it will eventually die and God knows that without sunlight, Christians cannot grow.  It is only when God sends the sunlight of affliction, pain, suffering and trials that the Christians will mature eventually instead of having the easy life.  In fact, try to notice how a person who's never allowed to face life's hardship lives against the one who has faced hardship.  The person who has never faced hardship is going to start whining even at the lightest troubles like a small cut or a bruise, to which it will not be a sign of maturity.  However the person who has been bombarded by troubles will not fear when trouble comes and is a lot more ready than the person who has lived his life on ease for too long.

5.) An easy life for Christians would invite the wrong crowd

When Jesus preached, He knew there were people who were there only to be fed by the bread and fish rather than who were there seeking Him with their hearts.  Many came to Jesus only when they saw the signs but when He began to preach about sin, the need for repentance and of man's helplessness many turned away from His preaching.  He did not want the sin-loving crowd who were unrepentant, boasting they didn't need God in His flock because they didn't want to be in His flock either.  Instead, He went to choose broken sinners who were fed up with sin because He knew they were the ones who would accept Him.