Struggle is a good thing. Struggle can bring more struggles
at first, but finally perseverance. My doubts and unbelief need to be put out
there for God and others to see. When I struggle with doubt or uncertainty, it
is a chance to experience God’s attentiveness to me. I see that He is long
suffering with my weaknesses. I get confirmation that He is Who He says He is
when I ask Him hard questions such as, ”Why can’t you just make this person
believe in you?” His answer? Belief often comes through trials, and he
needs to find Me there in his desperation. (Yes. Just like I did.)
If I refuse to admit my struggle, that is when there is a
problem. God wants me to bring the
struggle to Him. I can wrestle with God about it. I can flat-out disagree with
Him. I can yell and scream at Him, but I will never receive any truth if I don’t
honestly bring Him into the struggle. Sometimes I do nothing, and He still responds
because He knows my utter turmoil.
Conversely, the enemy loves it when I ignore God and invite
him into the struggle instead. Accusing God without hearing His testimony is
cowardly.
I know a friend who planted a grapefruit tree from a seed.
He knew it might be difficult to get the seed to grow, and even then, would it
last and eventually become a tree? My
friend believed it would probably grow, but he wasn’t sure for how long. He had
faith though, that if he watered it, gave it healthy soil and light, it might
become a tree. He was willing to try it and put forth the effort because he had
faith in the process that God set forth in nature. A seed of willingness to act
in faith produced a tree. Or is it that a seed of faith produced the particle
of willingness to plant it? Either way,
God wants us to test Him. The tree is a sign of that testing.
Struggle is an act of faith. Complacency is lack of faith. Submissive
bystanders grow very little in life.
Ask Him. He wants us to come to the wrestling mat with Him
and ask Why? How? Why
Not? That’s not fair. God has a
process. Yet His predictability is full of surprises. God has questions for us
that we never thought of before. One of my favorite questions God has asked me
is, “And do you have a part in this story you’re telling me?” or, ”Does anyone
have to be blamed?”
I’m so relieved that God doesn’t get weary with my humanness. He welcomes it.
