Today I met with one of my doctors. It was a little bit strange, and than she confirmed that I had yet another health issue along with the other 11. I have been struggling a lot lately and this was the last straw for me. I was really upset and confused. After driving around in the car for an hour listening to the radio and having a banana nut muffin, I feel a little bit better, but throughout the day I have been wondering why things constantly had to change and get worse. Why would a loving God allow all of this to happen? Why do we fall..?
Well, I still haven't come up with the perfect answer, but I came up with a couple reasons as to possibly why God allows us to struggle.
Our struggles give us the chance to depend on and trust God:
When life is going great we don't seem to trust God or pray as much. We feel as if we are on top of the world and nothing can hurt us. When we fall I believe it gives us a much needed reality check and the chance to learn to trust in Him and His grace. God also may make us fall so we can find our true source of strength - Him. It's a really scary step to take (especially if you have problems trusting people like I do) but in the end it's all worth it because you get a never ending peace and assurance. God is amazing and loves all of you, and will always hold you and see you through. You were bought at the price of His blood, so He's not going to die for you then abandon you. Having to put my faith and trust in God was hard for me, and I'd be lying if I said that I don't still struggle with it today, but in the end no matter how much you resent it at first, it's all so worth it. Are you going to take that first leap?
Trials can make us long for something greater than this world has to offer:
When I went through what I did with the ups and downs of my health and some things in my childhood, it made me push away from Jesus. At the same time it also made me long for Him and long for something greater. When crap happens it often makes me want something more - some kind of peace and happiness this world can't offer. Once I actually tried to grow in my faith with Christ I started to realize how much I needed Him and how much greater He is compared to our struggles. I know that despite the struggles I want Jesus' relentless love rather than anything the world has to offer. This world will fail and crumple to the ground, but God never will. The world will knock us down, but God has something so much greater in store for us, if we only long for Him.
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." - John 16:33
Struggling can make us more Christlike:
Becoming like Christ is one of the most important things for a Christian to do. For some it can be a pretty straight forward process, but for others (including me) it may take a lot of growth and trials that lead us more toward the straight and narrow. When we struggle it doesn't mean God hates us, it means He loves us enough to push us in the right direction - even if that means we have to suffer some. God hates to see us suffer, but if He knows it's best for us then He will allow us to. One of the main goals is to become like Christ and reflect His image. Christ suffered. Christ suffered unimaginable agony on the cross for us, if He can go through that for us then the things we go through seem minuscule. I know that doesn't help, but think about it - Jesus said in John that a servant is no greater than His master. Which means us being the servant, are no greater than Jesus, the master (obviously) and may have to struggle, but He also says, fear not I have overcome the world! Our struggles can offer so much growth in Christ if we let it. It may not always seem fair, but God has a plan for the suffering, even if we can't see it at first.
"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." - James 1:2-3
The point is, sometimes we fall so we can be built back up stronger in Christ. It's not because of karma or because God hates us, but because God loves us enough to set us straight. I will probably do another blog on this eventually.
I'm doing better now. Today was absolutely insane, but my mom always knows how to make days like these less crappy. We just got done riding on back roads listening to music for an hour, now we are going to my favorite spaghetti place and the park. Always remember that God doesn't have us fall than leave us. He will always see you through.
God never shuts one door without opening another!
Praying for each one of you always!
xoxo
Meredith
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