Tuesday, March 04, 2008

struggling

Struggling is not popular in our present feel good, shallow, pop Christianity, nor in our culture, for that matter. I hate to come across as negative here, but I believe that there is a disconnect from the stark honesty and realism we find in Scripture, and much of what we see portrayed as Christian today.

Struggling is a part of life. We see it in nature, natural processes from God enabling life, for example the process by which the caterpillar becomes the butterfly. It's all over the pages of Scripture where we read time and again of people struggling with life, with God and God's will. True even of Jesus in Gethsemane.

I'm thinking of struggle here in general terms, but it can include struggle over sin, over life itself and disappointments and troubles we're encountering, over any number of things generic to this fallen world.

Sometimes we can look down on our times of struggle as down times, or times when we were unspiritual. But these can be times of much growth and even breakthrough into something better in our lives in Jesus. Struggle is not to be despised. Instead we should seek to learn from it. We can ask ourselves before God, why we're struggling, and pray to God who indwells us to search our hearts and reveal to us anything contrary to his will. And look to him to change us.

If you're struggling before God, keep at it. Keep doing so before God, as one in Jesus. Find a trusted friend, preferably one you can count truly as a mentor or spiritual director to whom you can share your struggle with, and confess any sin. That can be a tremendous blessing and help. Don't air it out to everyone. That won't be helpful either for them or for you. And above all, keep bringing yourself and your struggle to God, in faith that he can help you work through it, and grow because of it. These are seasons of potential growth and change.

What might you add here?

4 comments:

preacherman said...

Ted wonderful post brother. The great thing about our struggles is that Jesus Christ understands because he has been tested in every way we are and tempted in every way we are in life. That mean we can BODLY God and His Son understand what we are going through and explains it to him. I think it is wonderful. We should praise God. Just my thoughts. Again, I want to think you for bring this issue up because many Christians forget and don't understand that Jesus understands. God belss you Ted. I hope you have a great week.

Rachel Mc said...

This post was a great one and a lesson it took me awhile to learn. I am trying to take my struggles to Christ and then let go. (Still working on the let go part!) I think my past struggles have taught me so much about myself (I am stronger than I think)
my friends (I learned who my true friends are) but mostly about God. He has absolutely been faithful and has shown me how to turn struggles into "teachable moments". What truly amazes me is that no matter how focused I am on the trouble, God puts the right people in my life to help and my struggles some how help them with a situation....and the circle keeps going. This just amazes me.
(I appreciate the post, Ted and I count you as someone God sent to help with my struggle to keep Christ close every day every moment.)

Ted M. Gossard said...

Thanks, Kinney. Always appreciate your encouragement.

Ted M. Gossard said...

Rachel,
Thanks for your encouragement, as well as sharing with us how God has helped and is helping you through your struggles.

Yes, we need each other, and trusted friends to help us when it's hard for us to see straight, and to pray for us. We need this more than we can imagine, and are too used to trying to go it alone, which is not good.

And I too have found that when I's struggling, God's grace is always sufficient as I trust him. And like you say, we need to learn to cast all our cares and burdens on the Lord.