Why Try
9/28/20262 min read
Life can feel like an endless pursuit of something that will never actually satisfy you.
So why try?
Why strive for more? Why take on another challenge? Why push yourself to grow when there is always another mountain waiting on the other side?
We can fall into a lull where we stop trying altogether. Or we can fall into the opposite trap: constantly trying to become better, richer, stronger, more successful, more impressive.
Then we talk about “work-life balance” like there is some perfect formula. Work this much. Rest this much. Play this much. But who decided that ratio?
Here’s what I think.
Our work can be worship.
The gifts, skills, ideas, and ambitions God has given us aren’t meant to sit on the shelf. If God puts an idea on your heart and you refuse to pursue it simply because it’s hard, you might be leaving something undone that He intended you to do.
Use your mind. Use your hands. Build something. Create something. Serve someone. Solve a problem. Take the risk.
Do it for the glory of God.
But there’s a catch.
You can become so obsessed with the next thing that you completely miss the thing God is doing right now.
I recently accomplished something that was really hard. I thought getting to the other side would bring satisfaction. Instead, I immediately started thinking about what was next.
Bigger. Better. Harder.
And somewhere in the pursuit, I forgot to stop and thank God for what He had already done.
That’s the danger of always trying.
You can spend your whole life climbing mountains and never stop to look at the view.
So stop.
Look around.
Thank God for the work. Thank Him for the struggle. Thank Him for the people, opportunities, abilities, and little moments He has given you along the way.
Being present isn’t just about slowing down. It’s about actually recognizing what God is doing while you’re there.
God has called us to work. He has also called us to enjoy His goodness.
Whether you’re a businessman, nurse, janitor, teacher, mechanic, father, mother, or whatever else—your work can be an act of worship when you offer it to Him.
So yes, try.
Take on the hard thing. Chase the idea. Build the business. Climb the mountain. Become the person God is calling you to become.
But don’t be so obsessed with the next mountain that you forget to thank God for the one you just climbed.
Learn to enjoy the journey.
Because sometimes the point isn’t what you accomplish on the other side.
Sometimes the point is what God does in you along the way.
That is why we try.