Brian I agree with your OP, because if you're a true Christian ..things only get harder.
Actually things get easier.
Hard is evil. It is very hard to be evil.
Hard on your heart because you're never really at rest.
Hard on your mind, think of all those lies you have to remember just to operate. All the worry of will someone find you
out.
Hard on your rest. Sleep doesn't come easy to the wicked. They always must think in the back of their head am I safe? Is everything locked, do I have my back against the wall and my face to the door while I sit in a restaurant just in case some one is out for me?
Hard on your relationships. Who have I misused and now they will seek revenge? How many more lies must I make up to cover the other lies? How long before s/he figures out I've been lying all along?
It is just so hard. Then you have the fact that people will turn against you frequently. Then you have God to have to deal with on top of that. Whether they believe or not, it is in the back of their heads. Maybe those weirdo Christians are right! Maybe I'll go to hell! They can't be right. No way. It must be untrue. It is all crap. Isn't it?
Doubt, conflict in the body, mind and heart. Very tiring. Very hard.
Whereas what do we really have that is hard?
People that persecute us. That's it really.
We do not doubt God, we know he is good and faithful.
We do not doubt Grace and life everlasting.
We follow his commands and he follows them too, we're OK.
The worst that can happen is that we die from this world. And GO to a better one.
Wow seems pretty easy. Even the rules are easy. Just two of them. Two.
I think we have it pretty good really.
Sure the day to day can be a slough. But overall we have it pretty good in God.