The Struggle Is Real But NOT PermanentSample

You’re probably like me—you like a great story. However, when our story is full of struggle we tend to not enjoy it at all. 

It’s easy to watch a TV drama, as long as we don’t get in the drama.
It’s easy to go to a box-office hit movie, as long as we aren’t the ones sinking on the Titanic.
It’s easy to read a million-seller novel, as long as we aren’t the one silly character. 

The struggle is soul-aching when the struggle is our struggle, not some random person on the other side of a screen. Well, if you are there today (in the middle of a struggle), if your story is full of anxiety, depression, betrayal, confusion, fear, and it’s a story of great pain... 

There will be a day where your strength is greater than your struggle.

A day when you look back on things that have held you back.

The season of your life where you never thought you would have made it. 

You will look back with gratitude because you will realize you were stronger than you thought you were. 

God’s grace made a way when you couldn’t. God is your strength and He’ll always be greater than your greatest struggle. 

Even though in the moment, you thought you were moving at an impossibly slow pace, you discovered you still had God’s grace, and you were able to carry on.

All because you knew that Jesus was still on the throne. 

Your story was still being written, and the valleys did not keep you from the rest of the journey that awaited you.

So on those days where you feel like your progress is slow, and you feel like you are stuck where you were last year, slow down and cherish the lessons, and count the blessings.

Recollect on conversations you worked through:

– with your spouse. 

– with your neighbor. 

– with your friends. 

– with your enemies. 

– with your coworkers. 

– with your children.

Never forget those moments. 

Your story is still in progress, even through the toughest moments of the process.

This is a process that builds your strength through the struggle. Trust Jesus! The fight for freedom is the fight that builds your faith. 

Perhaps you’re asking yourself, how will I overcome this?

When tears are flowing from my eyes—and in the moments my soul feels dry? I’m thirsty and ever so weary, with a heavy heart and a dissatisfied soul. Lord, how do I know if you’re in control?

You will recognize that God is in control (Philippians 4:6–7).

The hurt you experienced that was out of your control does not have the power to keep you from being whole. So look ahead and trust.

Trust that you are still worthy of love (1 John 4:8).

Trust that love is greater than fear (1 John 4:18).

Working through the pain of having been hurt is anything but easy.

But day by day, week by week, year by year, it becomes more and more possible through the strength of God.

People change, seasons change, and your perspective changes, too.

But when you start to move forward you start to see where your strength comes from, you start to see a way through.

So through your newfound strength remember this: the struggle is real, but not permanent.