The Struggle Is Real
We all have our struggles. Some of us face physical struggles. Some of us face emotional struggles. Some of us face spiritual struggles. Some of us face mental struggles. Some of us face struggles with others. Some of us face struggles within ourselves. Some of us struggle with all of these. Some of us struggle with few of these. One thing binds us all together...and that is this simple statement:
ALL OF US STRUGGLE.
EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. OF. US.
Is struggling fun? Nope.
Do some of us struggle more than others? Yep.
Is struggling productive? Yes. It can be.
“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” Romans 5:1-5
One thing that is important to note is that we WILL have struggles. We will face adversity. It’s not a matter of if, but when.
Some would say I have been through more in my 29 years than some people ever go through. In the same breath, I’d also like to acknowledge that comparatively speaking, I haven’t struggled nearly as much as other people. It’s pretty subjective, as what is difficult for you may not be difficult for me and vice versa. I have been told countless times (in various ways) something along the lines of "I just don't know how you do it" or "You are so strong". I'm not going to water this down. Some days are HARD. Some days I don't feel like getting out of bed. Some days I break down and cry more than I'd care to admit. Some days I question everything. Some days I feel all alone in this big world. There's one thing that gets me through, and that is my Lord and Savior. He is the one constant in not only my life, but yours as well. I don't deserve it, but He loves me anyway. I am not strong on my own. My strength comes from the Lord (Psalm 121:2)!
My faith in God and hope of Heaven are truly what get me through day by day. How people get by in life without faith is unfathomable to me. Satan knows my struggles and he knows yours, too. He will scheme to bring you down and keep you down. It is a journey, but I'm learning not to stay down. As I mentioned earlier, struggling can be productive.
In my opinion, struggle is one of the most important teachers in life.
- Struggle teaches us endurance which produces character which produces hope (Rom. 5:3-4, see above).
- Struggle teaches us that the more we endure the stronger we become.
"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficutlies. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Cor. 12:9-10 - Struggle teaches us who our friends and family are and what a blessing it is to have them.
"Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ." Gal. 6:2
"Therefore encourage one another and build one another up" 1 Thes. 5:11a - Struggling gives us the chance to help others going through similar situations.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-5
"And let us consider how to stir one another on to love and good works" Heb. 10:24 "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others" Phil. 2:4 - Struggle teaches us self-discovery and personal growth. I think it's safe to say we all have at least one difficult experience that we're thankful for the lesson learned during or following that time.
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Rom. 12:12 - Struggling helps us to truly appreciate the happy times and to count our blessings.
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Rom. 8:18 - Struggling helps us to find and choose JOY when we have a Godly mindset.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-3
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose." Rom. 8:28
If you find yourself not struggling at all or much right now, do something for me. Open your eyes. Open your ears. Open your hands. Open your heart. Someone that you know is struggling and needs you. We often think helping others has to be a grand gesture, but I'm here to tell you that some of the most meaningful things you can do for someone is to slip them a note or text that tells them you're thinking about them. Smile at somebody. Compliment/encourage them. Give them a hug or invite them to talk over some coffee. Don't worry about having the right words to say. Let them know you're available to listen and let them guide the conversation. Maybe they need to talk about anything but their difficulties. Those "small" moments add up to life changing moments, and all that's needed is YOU and your willingness.
I’d also like to encourage you the next moment you find yourself struggling, remember you are not alone. Cast all your anxiety on HIM, for HE CARES FOR YOU (1 Peter 5:7). Not only that, but someone somewhere has been through the same thing, which is one of the reasons the Bible tells us to lean on each other! We can find comfort in remembering that our struggles are working to provide us things like hope and endurance. I pray you have friends and family like I do that will support you. If you need someone to talk to or lean on, feel free to reach out to me. I don’t have the answers. I don’t have a magic wand to instantly make things better. What I do have are ears to listen, arms to hug you, and a heart that cares for you. Above all, I serve a mighty God who loves you more than anyone. I’d love to go to Him on your behalf. Comment below or send me an email if I can be of help to you. : )
I’d also like to encourage you the next moment you find yourself struggling, remember you are not alone. Cast all your anxiety on HIM, for HE CARES FOR YOU (1 Peter 5:7). Not only that, but someone somewhere has been through the same thing, which is one of the reasons the Bible tells us to lean on each other! We can find comfort in remembering that our struggles are working to provide us things like hope and endurance. I pray you have friends and family like I do that will support you. If you need someone to talk to or lean on, feel free to reach out to me. I don’t have the answers. I don’t have a magic wand to instantly make things better. What I do have are ears to listen, arms to hug you, and a heart that cares for you. Above all, I serve a mighty God who loves you more than anyone. I’d love to go to Him on your behalf. Comment below or send me an email if I can be of help to you. : )
Bless and be blessed!
Jocelyn, thank you for sharing this message. It's one everybody needs to hear because all of us DO face struggles at various times in our life. I particularly realize that younger folks don't care to hear older folks complain about their struggles, but as I have watched people all around me grow older, more frail, more dependent upon others, I KNOW that struggles are common to mankind. If we don't learn to lean on the Lord as well as help one another, life will be miserable.
ReplyDeleteI think of the words of St. Francis,
"Oh Devine Master, grant that I not so much seek to be served as to serve, to be understood as to understand...." I may not have quoted it exactly, but you get the point. It is about getting out of ourselves, laying aside the "me, my" mentality and caring for one another that should be our goal. THIS is how we learn to live lives that honor our God and bless our fellow man. And, young cousin, this is what I see YOU attempting to do in your life. You are living in such a way that would make your earthly parents proud, just as you are making your heavenly Father pleased.