I once had a teacher tell me that if your goal is to "not fail," then your goal will never be accomplished. I asked, “Why?” He said, “Because you never set a goal.” This really made me think about how I structure my life. Goals aren’t a bad thing, but what I’ve noticed is that when I am making progress and things are relatively good, goals are great. However, the minute there is a setback, an obstacle, or a struggle, all of a sudden those goals become a source of pain and hurt. Too many times I felt like my goals became anchors around me, pulling me down. “This is never going to work. I am not good enough. I made a mistake and now it’s all my fault.” These are just a few of the thoughts that tend to creep into my brain when setbacks happen.
One life lesson the Lord has been teaching me over the last three years has really changed my life. It has to do with hardship and pain. When we struggle in life, whether it be emotionally, spiritually, or physically, most of us react with a “damage control” mindset. Questions like “How do I recover? How can I minimize the damage? How can I make this hurt less?” tend to flood our brains. These thoughts used to immediately come to mind when I would struggle. Then, I would downplay any part I had in the situation and want to immediately move to the “fix it” step, asking, “What do I need to say or do to just make this go away?”
The Lord has been teaching me that this mindset is a wasteful one. I am wasting the pain and hardship. If I go through a difficult season and the only thing that comes out of it is pain, then I missed an opportunity. God does not call me to go through hardship and pain just because He thought it would be fun to watch. God has taught me that, despite how I feel in the moment, He can make good come out of it. This is extremely difficult to believe in the moment. But the more I learn and pay attention, the easier it becomes to recognize. If I learn a lesson, is that pain worthless anymore? If I gain a new perspective, is the setback really a setback? If I am made stronger and closer with Him, was it pointless? The answer is no. I needed to start to learn that in order to grow, pain and uncomfortability are necessary. I don’t have to like it, but I need to be willing to learn from it.
Matthew 26:37-39
He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”
This is one of my favorite examples of struggling and feeling it all but choosing not to listen to yourself. See, Jesus in this story was troubled and full of sorrow. He knew what was about to take place and was not happy about it. He knew it was going to be painful and uncomfortable, to say the least. But how He chose to end this prayer will always stick with me - “not as I will, but as you will.” Jesus was telling God that His feelings weren’t the most important thing because He knew His struggle wasn’t for nothing. As He walked through this difficult and painful situation, Jesus was saying, “I believe, God, that you have a plan and that plan will be used for Your glory.” Jesus had faith in this moment to move forward, despite being faced with the most incredibly painful and difficult decision that no man has ever had to face. He did it for God because Jesus knew it was God’s will. God then used Jesus’ pain and suffering to save the world from sin and death.
The more I read this, the more I learn that God wants to use my struggles for His glory. Sometimes the greatest lessons and the greatest moments of growth happen in the most difficult seasons of life. How much more could I learn and grow if instead of complaining, fighting, and being angry at God during these difficult times, I chose to pay attention, ask the right questions, and use them as an opportunity for the glory of God to be displayed.
It’s not easy and I will never say it is. But this has truly helped me in my walk with Jesus and I hope it helps you in yours. If you are struggling today, know that you are not alone. God is right there with you, loving you along the journey. Be encouraged to know that what you are going through is not for nothing. If you turn your eyes to Jesus and allow Him in, He will use it for His glory and to help you in the long run. I believe the strongest swords are forged in the hottest fires. Just like my best lessons were learned in my darkest moments. As a result, God has forged me into a man that is so far beyond anything I ever thought possible. It is solely because of Him and His ability to make good things come out of bad.
What can God do with your struggles today?
