by Jake Westra, EM Summer Staff in Portland, ME
"Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."
- Matthew 14:27
God is not absent from struggle. It may seem like it, but that happens when we trust in ourselves more than God. For some of us, it seems as though we struggle a lot. We find ourselves in situations that seem hopeless, dim, or bleak. We become irritable or annoyed with our current circumstances, wishing God would just take it all away because it seems too hard. The reality is that all our struggles have the ability to glorify God.
Henry, my five-year-old friend here in Portland, was at a Root Cellar event this week. I was surprised to see him there because usually he's across the bridge near the government housing units (where he lives). Needless to say, I was really happy to see him on the playground at Kennedy Park.
He ran up to me and asked if I could watch him on the monkey bars. "Of course," I said as we walked over to them. The monkey bars were really high for him. He could barely reach the bars, even when he was on the ladder. To my amazement, he slowly and carefully made his way across the monkey bars. In the middle of his monkeying, he panicked, wanting me to catch him because he was going to fall. Even though I was right next to him, encouraging him, he looked more at the ground than he did toward the finish.
Henry let go and I caught him before he hit the ground. He giggled because he thought he was done, but I put him back up on the bars. "What are you doing? I can't do it!" I smiled and said, "What are you talking about? You're halfway. You can do that again, can't you?" Henry nodded, determined to make it to the end.
To his amazement, he reached the end! He was oozing with confidence now. I praised his success as he looked for other jungle gym adventures to dominate.
In thinking about my interaction with Henry, it sort of became a short skit of how I often approach my relationship with God. If you are anything like me, I often find myself in tough spots, or difficult situations where it tests my response. Whether it be people, circumstances, or personal struggles, I find my success or failure is found in whether or not I trust in the promises of God.
There are times when I find myself looking at the ground. I find myself hanging on the bars and wondering if I will ever reach the end. The fear of hitting the ground paralyzes my ability to do the things God created me to do. Instead of trusting in God's promises of hope, life, and victory, I end up trusting in my very limited self. It's in the moments when I trust in my accomplishments, successes, or self-worth that I fall.
God allows you to struggle because He wants to be the hero of your story every day. There are only two options: either you fall or move forward. It's in the moments where you hang in the balance that you must call on the name of Jesus if you truly desire to move forward. If you did not have trials or struggles, how would you know what faith is? How would you know what perseverance is? How would you know true love? How would you experience God's saving grace if your life was struggle free? Every struggle in your life is for God's glory and your glorious sanctification.
The good news is that even when we do fall, He catches us. Once we're in His family, there's no chance we're hitting the ground. When we fall, He puts us right back in the middle of it. The world is not trouble free. It is broken. Part of the struggle in life is to show you the freedom you have in Christ to move forward by the strength and hope of the promises of God. We see the end and move toward it because we remember that Jesus has won and that He's with us.
The truth is, we are all on the brink of falling. We all need to be saved from ourselves every single day. God has saved you once and for all time, and continues to save you each day you call His name. If you are struggling; if you find yourself looking at the ground; if you are entertaining the thought of dropping; please understand that God loves you and is standing right next to you, encouraging you to call His name. Move forward under the grace and power of Jesus.
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