Thank God we are free to struggle. I know I have. I know many in my life who have been struggling lately, struggling to make right choices in the midst of temptation, to be the parent they wish to be, to be the friend they want to be, and/or to be the person they know God wants them to be. There are times when I am worn out by the thoughts, lies or concerns that go through my mind on a daily basis. I am worn out by the amount of responsibility this life gives us with the overwhelming consequences if we do not do what we need to do. I am worn out from the struggle to constantly love and forgive people, 70 times 7.
This week, I have seen struggle. I have seen people close to me battling fatigue, confusion, loss, and uncertainty. I have seen theirs and they have seen mine. Struggle can be different for everyone, but what is the same is that we shouldn't struggle alone.
It is not east to admit you are struggling. It is not easy to admit weakness when people around you seem like they have it all under control. Let me tell you, God never said that we are not free to struggle, that we must be strong all the time. He never said that we must never fail, never struggle to decide and make the right choice. Jesus died to make a way for us not to struggle to be free from our sin, or imperfections. He came to set us free. That means we will struggle but we already have the victory for we have Christ. The sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross provided a way for us to never have to struggle alone without any hopes for a solution. He has and often is the solution to every struggle. Struggles will always be part of this life, but one day there will be a day where the struggle will end and we will see the one who helped us through every struggle on this Earth. We will never have to struggle again.
I am reminded of the importance of recognizing what that when Jesus rose again, the statement was made that we may struggle but we no longer have to struggle to be free. We are free from death. We are free from trying to obtain perfection. We are free from breaking chains of addiction on our own. We have been given the power to overcome struggle because of Christ in us. We are allowed to struggle for God recognizes our humanity, but He will never keep us in this place. He will help us take hold of the victory. He is the one that will transform us all into overcomers. What a testament to our God that will be when people who don't know God see that there is hope, we can rise above our struggles with His help.
Can you imagine if we taught children that it is alright to struggle but they are not in their struggle alone? What if you and I loved people through their struggle and reminded people that the truth is that they need not bear the struggle alone? Can you picture the overwhelming joy that would come if we told people that they did not have to keep struggling to be free?
The power of the freedom to struggle is to realize that there is a solution. In 1 Peter 5:7 (amplified), it says, " Casting the whole of your care [ all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on him for he cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully."
In simplest form, it means we can give over our struggle to Him for he cares about us and wants us to live in the freedom He provided. We may still need to struggle sometimes to come to the understanding that we cannot do it without Him. But thank God he will never leave us struggling for long. Hallelujah! Praise our God who not only saved us but literally set us free!
Listen to the song The Struggle by Tenth Avenue North here:
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