No Pain, No Gain
Struggles are a part of life. We all struggle with something at some point. The Christian faith is not immune to this universal human experience. Even Christians must deal with a variety of struggles throughout their life. What we do with those struggles can either strengthen or weaken our faith. We must understand life’s challenges and struggles as a normal part of being human and a follower of Christ. They are not an end, but a means to an end, which is growing more like Jesus in this world until He comes again (cf 1 John 2:17). There’s no doubt about it; Christian men face different challenges than most other men out there today. Consider these truths if you are facing struggles as a Christian man today.
Christian men should expect struggles.
First and foremost, you should expect that you will face struggles in life. Everyone does, but the Christian life brings a unique set of struggles. John 16:33 says, “Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows.” As a Christian, you will have extra troubles that others may not have to deal with. Yet, this is part of being a Christian. It’s not something to be ashamed of or surprised by. Instead, it is something to embrace. The Apostle Paul summed up the Christian struggle when he said, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) You will face opposition, and that comes from both inside of you and from outside of you. You will wrestle with your own thoughts and emotions, and you will have to fight against other people and forces that would seek to keep you from God.
Struggles are an opportunity to grow.
All growth is hard. All growth involves pain. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t be growth. The Apostle Paul, in fact, told the church in Galatia that “It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.” (Galatians 6:15). Struggles provide an opportunity for new creation, growth, and change in our lives. They reveal our need to press toward Christlikeness and keep us from resting on our laurels. Paul understood this when he told the church in Colossae, “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3) Struggles can bring us closer to Christ and allow us to see how He deals with them.
Struggles reveal our true priorities.
Struggles reveal our true priorities. It’s not what you say about yourself or what you claim to believe that reveals who you are; it’s your actions that show what is most important to you. When you are going through a struggle, it is often the case that it reveals your priorities. Struggles are a time of testing, and they show what we truly believe by how we respond to them. When you are in the middle of a struggle, everything else in life takes a backseat to that challenge. It becomes the most essential thing in your life. This is especially true of finances. If you don’t have enough money to meet your obligations, then paying your bills becomes the priority over everything else. That’s why relational struggles usually accompany financial struggles.
God has a purpose for your struggles.
Struggles reveal our true priorities, and they serve as a means for us to grow as people. They do not, however, have any inherent redemptive value in and of themselves. Struggles are not a means of earning salvation or earning God’s favor. Struggles are not a path to spiritual growth or a means of revealing God’s goodness and grace. Instead, struggles are the result of a fallen and broken world in which all of us live. They are a natural result of living in a fallen world. They are not, however, a condemnation from God. The Bible tells us that God actually uses our struggles to grow us and make us more like Christ. The Apostle Peter wrote, “And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before.” (2 Peter 2:20)
The Christian’s responsibility during struggle-filled times.
If you are facing struggles, you need to remember that the Christian life is one of perseverance. You are not a failure if you are struggling. You are not a failure if you are having a hard time going through life. You are a Christian. You are not perfect. You are going to make mistakes and you are going to fall short. You will struggle. You will fall. You will need to get up and keep going. Stay strong in the Lord, and keep going. Consider these truths if you are facing struggles today as a Christian man. Struggles are a normal part of life. They are not something to be ashamed of or surprised by. Instead, they are something to embrace. They are a normal part of being a Christian man. Struggles reveal our true priorities, and they serve as a means for us to grow as people. They also show us how God works in our lives.
