I’m not usually a fan of inspirational quotes, but this one has stuck with me: “Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose our hard.” It lingers in my mind because it speaks of a necessary but seldom-heard truth. Inspirational quotes typically are made as motivators to grow self-love, optimism, and confidence, but this quote doesn’t shy away from a reality we often prefer to forget. Many quotes go by this mantra: If you believe in yourself, you can do amazing things. This one tells it like it is: You can’t change what life brings, so you have to change your approach to life instead.

We just entered the church season of Lent, a time when we walk alongside our Savior as he makes his way to Jerusalem to fulfill the salvation promise by taking the punishment for our sins. Jesus knew what was coming as he approached Jerusalem, and it wasn’t going to be easy. He would be betrayed by one of his closest friends. His disciples would abandon him. He would be mocked, beaten, and slandered by the authorities. But worst of all, he would be forsaken by his own Father (Matthew 27:46).

With this knowledge, Jesus was faced with two difficult approaches to his upcoming suffering: On the one hand, he could choose to save his own skin and live a peaceful existence, but doing so would mean we would have to pay the price for our sin and suffer God’s wrath for all eternity. On the other hand, he could choose to redeem the world and restore our relationship with our heavenly Father, but doing so would mean denying himself, taking up his own cross as he was mocked and beaten, and following his Father’s will even to the point of death.

Praise God he chose the latter! But that doesn’t mean it was an easy choice. Our Savior chose his hard wisely because it was a choice rooted in love for his Father and his will to save all people from their sins. His determination did not come from a mantra of self-empowerment but from a deep desire to reclaim people as God’s special possession (1 Peter 2:9). His endurance did not come from a desire to improve himself, but “for the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame” (Hebrews 12:2).

We must venture through a difficult life, but we have the blessing of choosing to walk alongside our Savior, who knows every strand of hair on our heads, who has “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11). We can give up the pride of thinking we can handle a hard world on our own and take up our Lord’s yoke upon our shoulders—a yoke we share with Jesus as he walks alongside us in this difficult life. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Choosing to live life with Jesus may be hard, but it will never be hopeless. Just before he was betrayed, Jesus prayed that his followers in all ages would be protected from the threats of Satan through the faith our heavenly Father gifted us: “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” (John 17:14-17).

We can’t stop hard circumstances from happening, but the hope of a secure relationship with the Lord makes an eternal difference in how we approach this world. Approaching this life with Jesus is the right kind of hard for those who want eternal peace despite the ever-changing circumstances of this life.

Take heart, friends: Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33).