In a world built for convenience, we forget that hard is how we grow. True spiritual growth happens when we step outside our comfort zones and let challenge shape our character.

I was riding in the car with my 20-year-old son recently when he made an offhand comment that stopped me in my tracks. “Dad,” he said, “why would you let someone else pick your music?” He was referring to how I’ll often just turn on a SiriusXM station and let the DJ decide what’s next.

For him, that idea is foreign, if not ridiculous. His generation lives in a world where everything is curated. Their playlists are hand-picked by algorithms that know their preferences better than they do. Their drink orders are ready before they get to Starbucks. Their groceries, meals, and even transportation can be scheduled for delivery with a tap. The world they live in is one of complete convenience — perhaps the most curated lives in human history.

And yet, these younger generations are experiencing alarming mental-health trends. More than 1 in 5 U.S. adolescents (ages 12–17) now have a diagnosed mental or behavioral health condition such as anxiety (16.1%) or depression (8.4%). Suicide rates are also climbing: among people ages 10–24 in the U.S., the suicide rate rose by about 62% from 2007 to 2021. Although more “connected” than any generation in history due to social media, this generation is the “loneliest generation.”

The Gift of Doing Hard Things

Psychology gives us a clue why. Humans are wired for challenge. Struggle shapes us. When life gets too easy, our resilience muscles atrophy. We lose the ability to tolerate discomfort, to persevere, to hope when things are hard. In a sense, we forget how to be human.

Scripture echoes this truth: “We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Romans 5:3–4). Hard things refine us. They build the kind of endurance that convenience can’t.

That’s one of the reasons Radical Mentoring is intentionally “hard.” It asks us to show up, be honest, commit to community, and do the hard work of growth. It’s not meant to fit neatly into our curated lives—it’s meant to interrupt them.

So maybe we could all stand to turn off the algorithms once in a while. To listen to a song we didn’t choose. To embrace something uncomfortable. Because sometimes, “hard” is exactly what our souls need most.

When Mentoring Feels Hard

If your mentoring journey feels challenging, you are not alone. Growth often comes through the struggle. We would love to walk with you through it, whether you are leading a group or just getting started. Contact us to connect with our team and be reminded that hard is how we grow, together.