Everyday presents its own challenges, but perhaps one of the greatest challenges is that of regarding the wrong things. Ecclesiastes states the matter as follows:
“He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap.” (Ecclesiastes 11:4 ESV)
Matthew Henry’s comments are illuminating:
If we stand thus magnifying every little difficulty and making the worst of it, starting objections and fancying hardship and danger where there is none, we shall never go on, much less go through with our work, nor make any thing of it. If the husbandman should decline, or leave off, sowing for the sake of every flying cloud, and reaping for the sake of every blast of wind, he would make but an ill account of his husbandry at the year’s end. The duties of religion are as necessary as sowing and reaping, and will turn as much to our own advantage. The discouragements we meet with in these duties are but as winds and clouds, which will do us no harm, and which those that put on a little courage and resolution will despise and easily break through. Note, Those that will be deterred and driven off by small and seeming difficulties from great and real duties will never bring any thing to pass in religion, for there will always arise some wind, some cloud or other, at least in our imagination, to discourage us. Winds and clouds are in God’s hands, are designed to try us, and our Christianity obliges us to endure hardness.
It’s a good reminder for all Christians, that if we regard certain things they are a danger of Christian productivity. These things are designed to test our faith, but our faith is designed to overcome and pass the tests.