Appendix
APPENDIX
DO HARD THINGS, THE GOSPEL, AND YOU
Hello, friend. Alex here. Yes, the book is done. Brett and I just want to share something with you that didn’t quite fit elsewhere, something so important that these few pages could prove to be the most life-changing of all for you. Let me explain.
Do Hard Things is written by Christians to Christians, but it’s not just for Christians. Maybe you have a Christian friend who gave it to you, or maybe you picked it up because the title caught your attention. Either way, I hope you enjoyed it and learned from it.
You don’t have to believe in Jesus to benefit from doing hard things, just like you don’t have to believe in Him to benefit from eating healthy food or from working out. It’s the way life works because it’s the way God made us. It’s how you were created to grow.
My brother and I are Christians—unashamedly so. And we don’t just settle for the label. Even though we often fail more than we succeed, we try to live our faith in every moment of every day, and we can see God working in our lives.
Because of that, we want to make sure all our readers, Christian or not, understand exactly where we’re coming from with this book. Yes, doing hard things is not just for people who believe the Bible, but we would never have written this book or encouraged you to do hard things if we didn’t have a Bible-shaped, gospel-driven view of life.
You’ve probably heard the word gospel many times before. It literally means “good news.” But you may not be completely familiar with what this good news really is—even if you’ve grown up in church. So I want to tell you about this good news and explain how it relates to doing hard things and the Rebelution.
Our friend Mark Dever, who pastors a church in Washington DC, explains the good news using just four words: God, man, Christ, and response. Let’s look at each of them.
THE GOOD NEWS
God is our all-wise, all-good, all-powerful Creator and Lord. He created us to glorify Him and enjoy His goodness forever. We’re made to know Him personally.
Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. (Revelation 4:11)
[Speaking to God] You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. (Psalm 16:11)
Man is us—from Adam and Eve to you and me. We have rebelled against God by breaking His law (what the Bible calls sin) and pursuing the things of this world for our own selfish purposes, rather than for the purposes that God designed them. Our sin separates us from God and exposes us to His righteous judgment.
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)
The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)
Christ is our Savior. God sent His own Son down to earth to live a sinless life and die the death that we deserved. Through Jesus’s death and resurrection, our debt is paid and our relationship with God can be restored in this life and for all eternity.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. ( John 3:16)
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
And finally, the only saving response to this greatest of good news is to repent of our sin and believe. That means turning away from what we know is wrong and turning to God, to trust and obey—professing that Jesus is our salvation and our Lord.
Do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? (Romans 2:4)
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
THE ULTIMATE HARD THING
What you just read is the gospel. This simple, profoundly beautiful truth has transformed millions of lives. Here is where the Rebelution comes in, because the mark of genuine transformation is to trust God enough to actually obey Him; to do what you know pleases Him, even when you know it won’t please other people; to do hard things.
You see, we choose to do hard things because Jesus has done the hardest thing—the thing we could never do for ourselves: He died in our place and paid for our sins. Apart from Him, nothing we attempt or accomplish will have any enduring significance. But because He did something of ultimate significance, we can live lives that truly matter, not just for now, but for all eternity.
This truth allows us to confidently and joyfully do hard things, even at great cost to ourselves—for the honor of the One who saved us. Why? Because we know that the hard things we attempt will make a real difference. Our trust is not in the greatness of our vision or the strength of our effort, but in the grace and wisdom and goodness of God. Our reason for rebelling against low expectations in the world around us is that Jesus tells us He has overcome the world and—through faith in Him—so can we. As Philippians 4:13 says, we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.
All of us—me, Brett, you—need what Christ did to save us. And not only to rescue us from the judgment we deserve, but also to keep us from wasting our lives on things that don’t really matter. His salvation is a free gift—it only needs to be accepted.
Even if you’ve heard this before and are pretty sure you’re already “saved,” give these words careful thought. Being a Christian is so much more than the label you wear. It’s about who (and what) you’re living for. You can grow up in church and read your Bible every day, yet still not be living for God. In fact, you might be doing all those things just because it’s easier to pretend that you’re a Christian now around your family and friends than it would be to openly live for what you really care about.
Don’t play games with God. Are you ready to repent and believe the good news of what Jesus has done for you? Will you join us in the most amazing adventure of all? If your answer is yes, here are some ideas of what to do next.
Talk to God
You can do this immediately; it doesn’t matter where you are or what time it is. In your own words, tell God what’s on your heart—that you’re done with living for anything less than Him. Don’t worry about the words. He’s there, He hears you, and He loves you as His own child.
Tell a Friend
Do you have any Christian family members or friends? Tell them what God has done in your heart and ask them to help mentor you and pray with you as you start out on the adventure of the Christian life.
Read the Bible
If you don’t have your own Bible, ask a Christian friend to help you find one. Finding one won’t be hard. Once you have one, start by reading in the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Get to know Jesus.
Find a Church
All Christians, especially new ones, need the fellowship and support of other believers in a local church. The pastor, youth pastor, or other adults will be able to help answer questions you might have—and the church can be a source of new friends who are passionate about living for God.
Join the Rebelution
Get plugged in to TheRebelution.com and get to know like-minded rebelutionaries around the world. Share your story with us (see the About the Authors page). We’d love to hear it. Now that you are a Christian, you may also want to reread parts of this book. Plus, look for opportunities to share the gospel with your friends—maybe even by giving them a copy of Do Hard Things or by starting a study group at your school.
Thanks for reading what I had to say. If it changes one life, this whole book will have been worth it. God bless!