Most of us have a sense of our ideal weight. For me it’s not measured in pounds or inches, but how comfortable my clothes are - specifically, if I’m able to go through the day with my belt at the second notch.

Sure, it usually means not ordering exactly what I’d like at the restaurant, leaving food on my plate, or minimizing (even abstaining from) dessert. But when my clothes feel comfortable, it’s all worth it.

In fact, when we think about it most things that are satisfying involve some sort of discomfort, inconvenience, or expense. I often use these as a way to validate my journey: if I’m going through the day and I’m not feeling uncomfortable, put out, or paying some sort of cost then I wonder just how giving I am; I wonder just how much I am contributing to the betterment of the world around me.

Jesus is our role model here, as the One who selflessly gave at most every opportunity. But not only is he our example, he is the source of our strength. So if we are feeling uncomfortable, inconvenienced, and like we’re paying way too high a cost, he is there to strengthen and uphold us. We all have stories of the ways God has stepped in - to give when we felt like we had no more to give. So let us not be angered or annoyed by life’s discomforts, but see them as validation of the ways we are participating in a fuller and more satisfying life.