The first three months of the year were quite a struggle for me as a mom, homeschooler, student, homemaker and wife. Members of our immediate family have alienated us and removed themselves from our lives and it has been devastating, to say the least. My homeschooling endeavors have netted less than desirable results and I have often fallen short of my weekly lesson planned goals. I have submitted class assignments for my own school work late and feel challenged to complete the weekly assignments by the deadlines. My kitchen has met with dishes stacked on the counters and in the sink, desperately waiting for me to put them in the dishwasher. I have barked at my husband for menial things such as the television being turned up too loud or his empty fast food beverage cups being left all over the house. I have been challenged in all areas of my life in just the past 90 days!
The word struggle means this:
1.to contend with an adversary or opposing force.
2.to contend resolutely with a task, problem, etc.; strive: to struggle for existence.
3.to advance with violent effort: to struggle through the snow.
4. (of athletes and competitors) to be coping with inability to perform well or to win; contend with difficulty.
Thankfully, I know I am not alone in these struggles. Philippians 1:29-30 says, " For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have." Paul struggled with the things of life and wrote about it to the Philippians to encourage them that they were NOT alone in their struggles. Paul further encourages his friends and fellow believers " I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me." (Romans 15:30). We need to let our brothers and sisters in Jesus know of our struggles so that they may join us in prayer that we would overcome these struggles! Notice Paul said to join him in praying to God. We need to actively pray for ourselves that we would see the breakthrough, too! We also need to persevere in our praying. Paul wrote, "We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them." (1 Thessalonians 3:2-3).
Be encouraged today that while it may seem as though the struggles you and I are facing today are new and that at times it may appear we are going through these things on our own, we are not alone!
Praying for your struggles to be met with and won by God's grace.
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