On the pasuk (Tehillim 89:7) 'לה יערוך בשחק מי כי אלים בבני 'לה ידמה, the Midrash (Tanchuma, Tzav 1) states, "Hakadosh Baruch Hu says, 'If I wanted a korban, wouldn't I tell Michael [the malach] who is near Me to bring me a korban? But whom do I ask? I ask Yisrael to bring me the korban."
Rebbe Menachem Mendel of Kotzk zt'l explains: Certainly, the malachim also perform Hashem's will. The difference between a human being and a malach is that a human is made of gashmiyus, while the malachim are entirely spiritual. Malachim don't have a body that prevents them. When they are obligated to do something for Hashem, they do so immediately and perfectly. In this world, people won't succeed in performing Hashem's will without first preparing themselves. The pasuk says, מי כי בשחק, a person isn't in heaven, like those who can serve Hashem immediately and perfectly. And this is the reason Hashem desires our service because it comes through toil and effort.
A therapist once told a patient, "You can't have lunch before you lift this cup for me." The patient cried out, saying, "What do you want from my life? Why are you tormenting me? Outside there is a crane. It can easily lift up buildings. I will arrange for the crane to lift the cup for you." The therapist replied, "Oy, you didn't understand me. I don't need this cup. I am doing all this for your sake, that you should regain strength in your limbs."
We can similarly say that when a person says, "What do they want from my life? I don't have the stamina and patience to study Torah and daven, and I don't have the strength to wage the battles sent my way. Ribono Shel Olam, you have enough tzaddikim in the world. They can do this 'work' for You. Let them do all the Torah and tefillah You want." The answer is, "This work isn't for Me. It is for your benefit. All the hardships are for your good."
Reb Shlomo Karliner zt'l said, "The reason yungerleit don't grow in avodas Hashem is because they don't value their deeds." Instead, they compare their mitzvos to how tzaddikim (past or present) performed them and feel that their deeds are worthless.
All our deeds are incredibly precious. The Arizal taught that a simple act done in the later generations could be as precious to Hashem as the mitzvos that the Tanaim performed. Although they performed mitzvos with perfection that we can't even comprehend, Hashem measures each generation according to their tests. In our times, there is a lot of tumah in the world, making it extremely difficult to perform mitzvos. Therefore, each good deed means so much.
The Akeidas Yitzchak of Alexander zt'l and several of his chassidim were in a concentration camp, and the Nazis told them to prepare for the showers. They knew that it meant the gas chambers and then the crematorium. During the last moments of their lives, the chassidim asked their Rebbe to tell them a dvar Torah. It was an awesome moment. He spoke to them about the pasuk (Tehillim 92:3) בלילות ואמונתך חסדך בבקר להגיד, "To declare Your kindness in the morning and Your emunah at night." It seems that it should state בלילות ואמונתנו, "our emunah at night," because is it not the Yidden who have emunah?
He answered that אמונתך is speaking about Hashem's emunah. Hashem has emunah in us. Hashem trusts that we will pass the tests that He sends us. And even when it is nighttime, which represents intense challenges, Hashem believes that we will pass the test.
