MANAGING THE STRUGGLES St.John 14 v 1-6
People struggle to preserve their joy, health, friendships, finances, and passion for God.
When we become anxious, the scripture we turn to is St. John 14. This chapter mends broken spirits, heals diseases, and gives peace to troubled souls. Jesus spoke the comforting words in the Upper Room because he knew the disciples struggled with his departure news.
PROMISES DURING STRUGGLES:
In St. John 14: 1, Jesus said:” Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God also believe in me.” People like Gideon, who struggled with fear, needed to hear those words. He went into hiding because he was fearful of his enemies. When the angel visited Gideon, he received strength and went to war. Gideon would not quit until he captured the last enemy. He exercised faith and later said,” fainting yet pursuing.” Finally, there was peace in the land. Jesus is the one who controls our emotions and our attitudes during struggles; therefore, we should cast our cares upon him, for he cares for us. (1 Peter 5:7)
“ God is our promise keeping Father, and he declared that not all struggles come to harm us, but to build character. “ Among the promises he gave are the following:
I will never leave thee nor forsake thee
I will supply all your needs according to my riches in glory
I am your refuge and strength
I am the God that healeth your diseases.
I care for the birds and the lilies. You are worth much more to me.
ONE WAY- NO SHORTCUTS
There are many roads to take us to different destinations, but only one will take us to the kingdom. He said , “ I am the way the truth and the life.” James Rowe, born in 1920, talks about the one way to the pearly gate, “There are many paths through this world of sin. But there’s only one way I shall travel in; ‘Tis the old Cross Road, or the way called “STRAIGHT”- There is only one way to the pearly gate.” There are no short cuts and no detours. To keep on this route, we must avoid all distractions. In Acts 4:12. Peter testified, “ “Neither is their salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
STRUGGLES BRING RESULT
Struggles come in different forms. They are often in the same group as an illness, victimization, and distress, among others. In reality, ” the ability to struggle is a supreme blessing because only through the development of the will to struggle can people rise above human conditions of suffering and misery. The struggle is the effort we must exert to transform our natural minds and biological beings into our spiritual selves.” Jesus laid out the path for transformation in Romans 12: 2
Butterflies teach us invaluable lessons. After the egg, the process continues; however, after the struggle, a beautiful butterfly emerges. The moral of the story is; our battles will bring out the beauty in each of us. I remember how I struggled to remain calm during any conflict. What helped me was the two days of fasting and prayer. After the first day, my cacoon still held me in bondage, but God gave me freedom when the second day ended.
Some people manage their struggles successfully. Among them are :
Hannah who struggled with bareness; however, she prayed, and God answered her. Daniel prayed three times daily, and God delivered him from the lions. Joseph would not defile himself, so he ran away from Potiphar’s wife.
Nehemiah set himself to build the walls in Jerusalem. In his effort to complete the job, he worked with tools in one hand and a sword in the other.
My parents laid the foundation of the first church in the community through sacrificial giving.
GOD IS THE WAYMAKER
I learned that struggle is not always destructive. It is through efforts that we have beautiful butterflies. It is through dedication that we have sincere Christians. It is through commitment and faith that we receive healing, and it is through determination that we gain success in life. My dependence on God brought me through many periods of illnesses. Through persistence I achieved my goals as an educator, author, motivational speaker, and holistic life coach. My struggles forced me to depend on God.
When I migrated to the USA, I struggled to find jobs, but in 1988 that changed when I received gainful employment: that began my upward climb on the ladder of success. With only six hundred dollars I made a deposit and finally bought the home I loved. After listening to my pastors’ message on the ‘The Favor of God’, I acted upon it and went out to seek a car. God provided a car for me after I struggled to find the down payment.
In 2016 during a stint of illness, a medical plane transported me to have emergency surgery. Although the cost was exorbitant, and the struggle was real, God paid it in full.