Seeking Jesus In The Struggle

More than that, 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 5:3-5

If I were to ask you, “What is something you’re struggling with right now?” how would you answer that question? 

Would you say you’re struggling with comparing yourself to the girl in your sorority who seems to have it all together?

Would you say you’re struggling with navigating a difficult relationship with a family member?

Would you say you’re struggling with feeling like a failure because you’re about to graduate and you have no idea what your next steps are?

Would you say you’re struggling with being content in your singleness while watching your friends get engaged?

Would you say you’re struggling with dealing with pain that’s affecting your physical or mental health?

What would you say you’re struggling with right now? 

If I was a betting woman, I’d say something came to your mind pretty quickly. In fact, I bet there were a few somethings that popped into your head that you’re struggling with right now. We all face times in our lives where we feel frustrated, hurt, and disappointed. We feel like we’re too much of one thing and we’re not enough of something else. 

Our natural reaction to these kinds of feelings is to wish them away, or if you’re a follower of Jesus, pray them away. As soon as we begin to face any sort of discomfort or pain, we want it gone in the blink of an eye. We want to endure this tough season for as little time as possible and move on to bigger and better things. But what if God is allowing you to go through this tough time right now because He loves you?

You heard me. Because He loves you. What if His love for you and His desire for you to become more like Himself is the reason why this difficult season isn’t ending as quickly as you’d hope?

God is way more interested in who you are becoming than where you are going…which is why He sometimes allows us to remain in a tough season. He wants to grow us, prune us, mature us, sanctify us, and ultimately draw us closer to Himself. 

Think about it. When you’re struggling, don’t you seek the Lord more desperately? Don’t you find yourself spending more time talking to Him and reading His Word? Struggle has a way of eliciting that response out of us, of igniting our desire to be close to Jesus. And as we draw near to Him, we become more like Him, which is the Lord’s ultimate goal for all of His children.

So if you’re struggling right now, if you’re desperate for this tough chapter in your life to come to a close, I would encourage you to shift your perspective and view this season as a time to grow closer to the Lord and become more like Him, rather than wishing it all away. You never know what God could be wanting to teach you and accomplish in and through you in the midst of this struggle.