Why is Living as a Christian So Hard?

Living as a Christian is often described as difficult, restrictive, or burdensome. But the first thing I would love to share is that living as a Christian is not as hard as it is perceived to be. Christian living is a total surrender and complete dependence on God kind of living.

Why this may appear as a struggle in the beginning of your decision to surrender all to God is that old habits and ways are not easy to let go of. But even at that, your love for God gently eliminates these habits from your life.

Ephesians 1:13-14 explains the foundation of Christian living in a beautiful way. First, you hear the gospel of Christ, which is the word of truth; then you believe. Your belief in the gospel of your salvation (the gospel of Christ) makes it possible for you to be sealed with the promised Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:11 reads like this: “But if the Spirit of Him (the promised Holy Spirit) who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Simply put,  when you choose to believe in Jesus, the same Spirit that was in Jesus is now in you. You have been sealed with that same Spirit.

When you let that same Spirit lead your life, Christian living will not be hard—not because challenges disappear, but because we are no longer carrying life on our own strength. Christian living is not a struggle, but where we begin to experience struggles as a Christian is when we start to challenge the leadership of the Spirit of God within us.

A lot of times, it seems as though where the Spirit of God is leading us through does not make logical sense. We don’t see the road in the path that the Holy Spirit is leading us through. Doubt sets in, and we abandon the leading of the Holy Spirit for our own rational thinking. 1 Corinthians 1:25 tells us that even the foolishness of God is wiser than any presumed wisdom a man can have.

The inability to trust the Spirit of God in us, even when it does not make sense to us, is one of the reasons why we will be tempted to conclude that living as a Christian is hard. Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to “Trust in the Lord with all our hearts, and lean not on our understanding. In all our ways, we should acknowledge Him, and He shall direct our paths.”

Proverbs 3:7-8 says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.” Christian living is simply living your life in total trust in God.

The hard part of this lifestyle is your ability to trust God totally. And that can only be built with focus, determination, and discipline, and your deep knowledge of God and His word. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)

In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” This is the call to Christian living, and it does not sound hard to me.

Matthew 6:25-27 Jesus also says, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? Which of you, by worrying, can add one cubit to his stature? “

And He also says in Matthew 6:31-32 that “Therefore do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows you need all these things.”  Reading this further, we will see Jesus tell us to seek God first, and all these things will be added to us.

All of these promises, which are heavenly truths that will not fail, do not sound like living hard to me. So, Christian living is not a hard life. It’s a life that is heavy on trusting God and depending on Him, even when it does not make sense.

I have done my research, and I have not found a portion of the Bible that mandates God to make sense to us first for us to trust Him. In His deep love, He forgives our sins, sent His son to pay the price of our disobedience, even to the point of death. He has laid a pattern for us in Christ Jesus to show the possibility of living right. He has given us the same Spirit that was in Jesus. That is all the sense and logic we need.

When you ask God, He answers you (Matthew 7:7-11). It may not happen when you want it or how you want it. But guess what, He holds the time and seasons in His hands. He knows the perfect timing far more than you can think you know. He answers you at the perfect time. Even your troubles are tools in His hands to bring the greatness that you seek. He makes all things beautiful in its time (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

Christian living does not exempt us from trials and challenges. As a Christian, your faith will be tested, and your trust in God will be tested. In such moments, your faith is revealed—not because God doubts you, but because trials refine what you already believe. A challenge that cannot break you will only make you stronger.

Isaiah 40:29-31 tells us that God gives power to the weak and those without might, He increases strength. And then the scripture says those who wait on the Lord will renew their strength. Your ability to wait on God in days of challenges renews your strength.

Trusting God in the midst of dire challenges can be a big task. When I go through such moments, what helps me through it is that I begin to recall all the times God has come through for me. So, I conclude that if He did it then, He’ll do it again.

And if it does not happen the way I want it, it’s because His idea is far better than mine. This approach has been most helpful to me. I have seen this truth play out in real life, even in deeply painful situations.

Someone very close to me was going through a hard time at work. He was being reported by an anonymous staff member for things he didn’t do. He was a target of racial profiling. He was investigated for all the allegations and was found innocent, but this anonymous person would not relent.

He threatened the company and reported to the highest level of management that if this person close to me was not fired, he would go to the radio station and damage the image of the company to the world. My friend was worried and asked that we pray together. So, we did.

To cut a long story short, the company decided to take legal action against the anonymous reporter. Suddenly, some of the suspected actors in the case began to resign voluntarily, and my friend was vindicated.

And I told my friend that what this issue has done is just to put your name in the right ears. At the level at which this case has gone, those who need to know your name will begin to hear it. Because at the time when God is ready to promote you, the groundwork would have been laid. Romans 8:28 tells us that all things work together for good to those who love God.

Christian living is not hard—it is a life of total dependence on a faithful God. It is trusting Him when the path is unclear, waiting when answers are delayed, and resting in the assurance that He will never fail. Those who trust in Him will never be put to shame.

If this message stirred something in your heart, don’t stop here. My books go deeper into these truths—offering clarity, encouragement, and practical faith for real-life seasons. Each one was written to strengthen you where you are and help you walk forward with confidence in God. Explore the books and take the next step in your faith journey today. Click on the button below for details