“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me…” Hosea 4:6a
For many of His children, God is only a place for help. Difficulties or problems are a point where people start to “pray.” The Lord becomes someone who is only needed when people have to overcome their problems.
It’s true that Jesus died on the cross to overcome our problems; the biggest problem people have is actually sin. The Lord promises that those who are righteous will be taken care of by Him. But, the focus of believers should not be on the fulfillment of needs or the comfort of materialistic things. There is something that is more important – spiritual life “… is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?” Matthew 6:25
The purpose of spiritual life is to become spiritually mature. The Lord will use His Word to mature the believers (John 17:17). For example, Jesus taught Simon Peter and his companions with the Word for about 3.5 years. The Lord wanted them to have an attitude that comes from the Word when they go through their lives. Wisdom from the Word is what enables believers to overcome struggles. Victory over problems will result in spiritual maturity.
There is one truth that is undeniable – that the Lord Jesus has redeemed us from sin. But, those who believe in the Lord and are born again, are like spiritual babies. Babies need growth that ultimately leads to maturity. This is where God will use every source for the growth of His children. For example, for Job, God allows Job to be tested so he can grow spiritually.
Is there any good thing behind a struggle? A struggle means problems someone faces to the point where he/she needs to set aside time, energy and strategy to resolve. Usually, people look at struggles negatively. But actually, struggles can be a stepping-stone for people to grow in their spirit. A psalmist says, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I may learn Your statutes.” (Psalm 119:71). Job knew the Lord more after going through the test and came out victorious.
A pleasant and victorious life does not mean a struggle-free life, but it’s a life where God’s grace overcomes every struggle and problem. God allows struggles to happen so that His children can seek after Him more seriously, with the right attitude. For spiritual growth, God will give His Word as guidance. In a struggle, we can apply God’s Word we have already heard and understood.
God can correct our lives through His Word when we are in a struggle. There, our mind needs renewal. This means wrong understanding will be corrected through the Word; and when we realize it and are willing to change, then the renewal of mind will happen. Psalm 119:105, “You Word is a lamp unto my feet.”
In the Lord, struggle is an opportunity for believers to seek after Him more seriously. With the right attitude, struggle can become one of the tools in spiritual maturity.
Taken from the Central Article 2016, GBI Gatot Subroto Jakarta