EASY TO HEARD
Sometimes it's best to ease into difficulty.
If you're at work, do some easy tasks first to build momentum to your difficulty tasks.
If your'e about to go on a roadtrip, load up on some snacks before hitting the road.
If you're about to pray in the early morning, make a hot cup of coffee and have it nearby.
Easing into difficulty is a good way to tackle/absorb the difficult.
We see something similar in Matthe 19:1-2.
HEALING TO HARD TEACHING
Jesus is about to drop a difficult teaching on marriage & divorce - difficult by their standards and still difficult by our standards.
However, before dropping the difficult teaching he heals a few folks.
He creates an environment in which it will be easier to receive a difficult teaching.
This is helpful for us in our discipleship to Jesus this Lent season.
EASE INTO YOUR GOD-SEEKING DISCIPLINES
If we are looking to fast more, we can ease our way into fasting greater and greater stretches of time.
If we are looking to pray more, we can ease our way into praying longer and longer.
If we are looking to read scripture more, we can ease our way into reading more and more.
We have permission to NOT try and dive into the deep end immediately, but to slowly wade into the waters of discipleship - to ease into the difficult disciplines.