A friend of mine wears a fitbit bracelet to monitor his physical activity during the day. He questioned its accuracy when after getting dressed one morning it congratulated him on a great workout. I asked him which article of clothing he wrestled with and he got a big laugh out of it. If he ever saw me putting on my winter coat, he would know that I was only half joking. There are physical, mental, emotional and even spiritual struggles that face all of us throughout life. The physical and mental struggles become more frequent with old age.
Not all struggles are external. You have probably read the story circulating on social media about an American Indian chief who told his son, “Inside every person there are two wolves fighting. One is good and the other is evil.” His son asks, “Which one wins?” The wise chief replied to him, “The one you feed.” The good news for Christians is that fight within us becomes one-sided when God’s Holy Spirit also dwells within us feeding the good and starving the evil.
Last Sunday our senior pastor preached about the tests (struggles) we face. Sometimes God provides a test, not to see if we can pass (He already knows that), but to prove to us that we can overcome when we rely upon Him. Sometimes it is Satan tempting us in order to lead us into sin and away from God. Adam and Eve failed Satan’s test. Jesus passed his tests in the wilderness by quoting scripture. So, the tests Satan gives are all “open book” tests. We can look up the answers in God’s word and never get it wrong. Sometimes the tests or struggles we face are just part of living in a lost world and the One who overcame the world will get us through those as well. (See John 16:33)
Paul wrote about his struggles. “We are in this struggle together. You have seen my struggle in the past, and you know that I am still in the midst of it.” (Philippians 1:30) Paul also tapped a resource of help we have available to us. “Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:30) Not only can we rely on our brothers and sisters in Christ to encourage and pray for us, but as God’s son or daughter we are tested and overcome so that we are able to reach out with encouragement and prayer to a brother or sister facing the same struggle.