There is no success without hardship.

Success is dependent on effort.

What house, bloated with luxury, ever became prosperous without a woman's excellence?

Deem no man happy until he passes the end of his life without suffering grief.

If 'life begins at the end of your comfort zone,' then lots of us are waiting to get born!

Like Gandalf, God knows the battle going on inside our hobbitlike selves, the wrestling match between the Baggins and the Took. The Baggins side of us takes our creature comforts for granted. We assume these comforts are part of the terms and conditions outlined in the job description Jesus offers when he says, "Follow me." But God never said anything about discipleship being comfortable. He's more interested in coaxing the Took side of us to the fore, the side that's willing to endure a little hardship for the sake of the final destination. When we learn to live without, we discover what we're really made of.