Life is hard. That’s simple enough right? But, what does that mean for us?
I was listening to Joyce Meyer the other day talking about planning our pleasures and our pain. It really got me to thinking how much better I could do, and reminding me that I’m doing better than I think I am.
Here’s some questions for you to answer..

1. Do you want to lose weight but haven’t done anything about it yet?
2. Is debt piling up and you can’t see over the stack?
3. Do you hate your job and come home depressed everyday?

Here’s my next question:
What are you doing about it?
I used to sit around and make excuses for why things weren’t happening. Then I learned that I was wasting my time, others’ time, and wasting my breath. I was making excuses for things that were not beyond my control, but I was looking at the situations as if they were.
I wanted the pleasure of being successful at things, but I didn’t want to go through the pain of getting there. Sometimes life calls for pain. There is no way around it. You have to plan your pleasure. Plan how you will get there.
Here are three excuses we make instead of planning our pleasures:
I’m Not Losing Weight. Are you getting off the couch? Are you looking in the mirror saying, “I wish I could be skinny?” As Joyce says, “You ain’t gonna get it wishing!” Stop waiting for others to do it with you. Stop waiting for the next best diet. Get up! If I can do it, you can do it. No more excuses. I started small with a tiny walk around the parking lot. I traded McDonald’s for grilled chicken. I didn’t go on a diet. I didn’t starve myself. I went through the pain of excercising and changiing my lifestyle. Guess what? That pain eventually got easier. You have to make the decision today that you will stop wishing for what you could have and start planning for what you will have.
I’ll Never Get Out Of Debt. Not with that attitude you won’t. Here’s my first suggestion: cut up those credit cards now! If you don’t have the willpower to say no, then don’t give yourself the temptation. Just as in losing weight, it takes one step at a time. One payment at a time. One month at a time. But if you plan the pleasure and start walking through the pain, there is light at the end of the tunnel. Let me be honest with you. I have some medical debt stacked up. I started to get defeated by looking at the bills stacking up in my shoe box, but one day I sat down and started opening everyone of them. I put them in a spreadsheet and figured out how much I owed. I was actually happy with the total. It could have been much worse. Then I came up with a plan. I have a certain amount I plan to pay every month, and am hoping that within the year I will be debt free. I’m planning the pleasure of paying off that last bill and will smile at the end of the pain. This doesn’t mean that you have to live a dull life and never grab a movie and popcorn. But make your choices wisely. I am by no means a professional in this area, but God is growing me.
My Job Gets Worse Everyday. Not everyone loves their job. Not everyone is expected to stay in a miserable work environment all of their life. But, you are expected to keep your integrity and good attitutude at work, despite what others around you do. Check your heart and your attitude. Ask yourself what needs to be changed inside of you before you blame your job for negative things in your life. If you’ve worked on you and things are still rough, plan the pleasure of finding a new job, continuing to dig in and do your work based on Colossians 3:23-24.
Obviously I can’t cover all the excuses you or I make, but these are some main ones I hear. Whatever situation is in your life right now, sit down and reevaluate the situation. Plan your pleasure. It’s right around the corner if you decide to make it happen.
What pleasures are you currently working on? Comment below…