“God Uses Our Struggles To Change Us”

Deuteronomy 31:6

Struggles is defined as a war, fight, conflict, or contest of any kind; trial; pains; battle.

God uses our struggles to change us, strengthen us, to shape us and to heal us. We cannot control all the struggles in our lives. We do not know what is going to happen tomorrow or even today. We cannot control our struggles, but we can control how we respond to them. We can control whether an experience makes us a bitter person or a better person. What matters in life is not so much what happens to us but what happens in us. God uses situations that others mean for bad in our lives. Joseph was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. Years later he said, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” This holds true in our life, today as well. Maybe there is someone right now who is trying to hurt you. Don’t worry. If you are a believer, if you have put your life in God’s hands, God can use even such a painful situation for good. He will develop within you a mature character. And that is what the fruit of the Spirit is all about. God wants to produce the character of Christ in our lives because he knows that the more we become like him, the more fulfilled we will be. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, Paul says, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. God’s goal in allowing the thorn in the flesh was to keep Paul humble. Whether the thorn we struggle with today is physical, emotional, or spiritual, we can know that God has a purpose and that His grace is all-sufficient.

I come by this morning to let you know we can rejoice in our struggles, not just endure them, because we know that God is using them for our benefit. God even uses the problems we bring on ourselves. Be bless and I love you!!! JE