The more time I spend studying the Bible, the more grateful I become for the real life examples God provides for us. His word is chock-full of men and women trying to be obedient, desiring to be used by the Lord, seeking His very best for their lives, and yet many times still struggling with doubt, worry, and fear. They were not ridiculed by our Heavenly Father but rather lifted up, encouraged, and loved on. Although we sometimes think of them as heroes of the faith, the only true hero is Christ. These were just people like you and me that were touched by God’s grace and used by Him. He provided the strength, the peace, and the stamina. He was only looking for willing hearts.
God has truly blessed us with these examples from which we can learn (Abraham, Moses, and Jonah to name a few – and that’s just in the Old Testament). It can be comforting to remember their struggles and the victories God led them to especially when we feel alone in our struggle to be obedient, to follow the Lord wherever he leads, and to be used for His glory in big and small ways. It is far too easy for us to let doubt, worry, and fear creep in and leave us wondering why this is so hard.
We too often forget that God wants to use our struggles as well. We rob others of a blessing when we pretend that they don’t exist. We know the right words to say, the brave face to put on, and the expected way to act to keep our struggles and challenges hidden. And yet it is our weaknesses and our times of struggle that others actually relate to. It’s what allows us to share our faith with others in such a way they can understand, and it is in those struggling times that the Lord usually grows us the most.
My husband and I recently joined a small group of couples at church with a desire to make new friends and grow closer to God. As is typical for groups just starting to meet with each other, each couple is taking turns sharing their story – the story of their family, how they grew up, how they came to be married, and anything else they want to share. It is such an extraordinary way to break through the façade and truly get to know someone. It is also comforting and inspiring because of the honesty and vulnerability shown through this form of sharing. Although I’m a little anxious about sharing my own story, the Lord is softening my heart to freely admit my missteps and challenges because it is in those exact times that His grace was sufficient and His power shines through. My story has really always been His story, and that is something I should always be excited to share.
The truth is I struggle to keep it all together – my house gets messy, my laundry pile grows tall, I don’t cook dinner for my family as often as I should, I can barely keep up with my emails, I lose my patience with my kids and my husband, my motives are often selfish, and many days my attitude is not where it should be. And as much as my heart desires to be close to the Lord and follow His will for my life, I sometimes choose to go my own way and miss out on the opportunities that He provides. I forget so quickly the many ways that God has been faithful in my life, I lose sight of His perfect timing, and I take for granted the blessings He has provided. I wrestle with my own set of doubts, worries, and fears. The reality is that I can never have it all together on my own, but I must never forget that my weaknesses reveal God’s strength.
“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 difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” ~ 2 Corinthians 12:9-11
My prayer is that we embrace our struggles and turn them over to God and begin to truly share them with those the Lord places in our paths, that we acknowledge our walk of faith isn’t perfect, and that we give Christ the honor and glory for strengthening us, encouraging us, and loving us through it all.
Your life really can be a blessing to those around you – just as you are!
