Growing from this Place Subject: Struggling but not losing
In this week’s edition of Growing from this Place Bible Study, Pastor Jonathan McKnight looks into the concept of struggling but not losing. He prefaces the study by highlighting that God allows us to go through things that we struggle with.
Yet, He empowers us to declare that even if you don’t think that you are capable of doing or getting through the struggling part of something, He empowers Himself within us. He does this to remind us that we can’t do nothing without Him.
Here are the key points of this week’s study:
- Sometimes a struggle can be spiritual, emotional or physical.
- A struggle can often be in your heart or in your mind and can be overwhelming.
- Sometimes our struggle can be with God over some of the things He’s allowed to happen in our lives that we wouldn’t have picked to happen.
- What do you do when you have to deal with the humanity versus the spirituality?
- There is often a struggle and humanity (emotions) and spirituality (faith).
- Struggle (definition).
- Oftentimes, there is a cycle that seems to repeat itself in your life that you struggle with breaking.
- It can be something that drains you physically, emotionally and even mentally.
- Why would God allow there to be a struggle?
- The struggling means that God is removing all the dependencies.
- He never wants you to get to the point where you think you make life changing decisions without consulting Him or live life on your own intelligence.
- God also allows the struggle because He wants to break our will and build confidence in Him.
- If want to please God, you have to walk down the journey of faith where you will struggle with not know what He’s doing in your life because won’t tell you everything that He’s going allow or do in your life.
- God will break you from somethings and may even break you from you.
- How do you survive your struggle?
- You must understand that there are some troubles you might not be able to pray away but you must go through it so that it can build you, because God has a plan to reveal something about Himself for you and about yourself to Him.
- You must understand that God may use your enemies to perfect you.
- You must trust God’s grace to make up the difference for my weakness/struggle.
- The Lord will allow somethings that even though He has forgiven you of certain things, you will have to realize that you need Him.
- He left somethings for you to struggle with so that you can still pray to Him.
- When you are struggling through something, you need to admit that you need God and that you can’t make it without Him.
- Glorify Him and boast of His goodness through your weakness.
- With God, you may be struggling, but you are not losing.
- Remain open to what He allows and watch what He will do in your life.
Scripture Reference
2 Corinthians 12: 5-10