Skeptical. Afraid to be rejected. Frustrated at the seemingly textbook answers.
Sharing our true feelings is anything but easy. Sharing the struggle. Opening up to what’s really going on in our life seems near impossible. Why is that? Why is it that in order for us to feel accepted we need to just answer with an “I’m fine” and paste a smile on our face, when we know deep down we are anything but.
I am sure you can all agree with this – we ALL struggle. Each and every one of us is struggling with something. Yet, we feel so very alone in our struggle. But if we open ourselves up with are met with almost an immediate response that we aren’t praying hard enough or our faith isn’t strong enough. I’d like to call B.S. on that! Those answers only make a struggling soul feel defeated and inadequate and it turns our need for dependence in Him to not doing enough for Him.
Just because we struggle, even if it’s a constant struggle – it doesn’t mean our faith isn’t strong enough or we aren’t in constant communion with our Savior. Surely, our dependence needs to be in Him, but there is no promise that he will take our struggle away here on earth. Look at Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. He begged God to take away his struggle, the “thorn in his flesh” and God’s response – “My grace is sufficient for you for my power is perfected in weakness”. Paul even says it, admits it in his struggle, he knows that if God took away that thorn, he would no longer be dependent on God’s strength.
Sometimes it’s not about taking the struggle away. Sometimes its about our dependence on God through the struggle, finding His strength when we do not have our own. Flip the script. It’s not about our lack of faith but our need for dependence in Him. If we don’t struggle, what would our need for a Savior be?
Share your struggle. When you are brave enough to share your struggle you encourage others to share theirs. You are not alone. Even when you feel alone, discouraged, frustrated by the textbook responses you get, know that by sharing the struggle, you are allowing room for others to not feel so alone. Plus! Your God is with you. Cling to Him, His strength to get your through. He won’t fail you. He may not take it away, but He is right there offering you His strength. And one day, you’ll be able to share your story and encourage others around you for His glory.
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