Find Strength in Your Struggle

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

But he said to me, “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.

I've struggled, and I'm struggling.

For the longest time, I've struggled with the idea/fact that I'm struggling.

Struggling to make better decisions, struggling to love myself, struggling to love others, struggling to trust God, struggling to rest in His love, struggling to prioritise myself, struggling to stay joyful, struggling to keep trying no matter how many times I fail...and the list goes on.

I'm aware that the struggles I've mentioned are not unique to me, and I'm even more aware that people have it worse than I may think I've had it. But two things I will not do are underrate or overrate my struggles.

I will not belittle my struggles because my experiences make up my story and not any other person's. Hence, it will be unfair of me to use another man's strengths or weaknesses to evaluate myself. I should draw inspiration from their testimonies and learn lessons from their regrets. But once I begin to belittle my struggles, I've slipped into comparison, which is always unhealthy.

Also, I will not amplify my struggles for the same reason that my experiences (both good and bad) make up my story. Amplification of my struggles in the past has looked like nothing other than self-pity and condemnation to me. It's a human tendency to feel "undeserving" of trials but "deserving" of victories. As such, in the moments when we experience trials rather than victories, which we are naturally disposed to accept, the Devil can easily stir up all sorts of negative emotions that are very useful in tearing us down.

Most of us (believers) have “head knowledge” of God's plans for us despite our struggles. We know that if we allow Him, He'll build us up and make us stronger, because it is His perfect will for us to ALWAYS be victorious, despite the trials we face. But the struggle lies in allowing Him so as to have experiential knowledge of the freedom His Spirit gives.

I reiterate, "I've struggled with the fact that I'm struggling." The first step towards experiencing change is acceptance. In order to overcome all the struggles I've mentioned (plus more), I must first accept that I'm struggling and it is human to struggle.

God does not condemn me for struggling, nor does He condemn you for struggling. Instead, He expects our struggles to bring us closer to Him. This is so that He can take hold of our hands and walk us out of the traps that the Devil may have bound us in. Remember, He has the master plan out of whatever maze. His word says, "...where the spirit of God is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). Hence, bondage is not and can never be of God.

He wants us to experience the freedom that His Spirit in us gives. He's always stretching out His hands, “hoping” that when we get to the end of ourselves and throw our hands up in exasperation, we'll allow Him to take hold of our tired, weak, and feeble hands.

Dear one, persevere. It's too late to quit today. No matter how many times or how deep you fall, I genuinely pray that you find the strength to rise. And may all your strength lie in total surrender to His strength.

Action Step: I dare you to deliberately rejoice in your struggles today. Declare, “I am not condemned for my weakness. I receive God’s sufficient grace, and His strength is made perfect in me.”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your grace that sustains me even in my weakness. I surrender my struggles, my fears, and my limitations into Your hands, trusting that You are at work in them. Help me rely fully on Your strength today, and lead me into the freedom Your Spirit gives. In Jesus' name. Amen.