For the past several weeks, we have heard a lot about struggle. Struggle is a part of our experience. It is a part of our realities. It’s a part of our world. In a way, struggle is in our DNA. This is not to say that we are aggressive or stubborn people. It’s simply how life is. This past Sunday, Pastor George made the distinction of struggling with and struggling against. Struggling-with is an honest kind of struggle that desires an outcome that will result in growth and restoration. Struggling-against sees the world, our circumstances, and people with whom we struggle as enemies. Struggling-against is agenda driven, not growth driven.
So, here are some things to think about this week…
1. What is your struggle? Is it a person, an institution, a circumstance? What kind of struggle of struggle is it; with or against? What are some steps you can take so that growth and restoration become primary, not necessarily your desired outcome?
2. Pastor George said that the work of Jesus was so remarkable because on the cross Jesus in essence said, “Sin and evil stop here.” As believers, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are to be a people who say the same thing. “Evil and sin stop here!” Paul tells us to “work out our faith with fear and trembling.” This does not mean that we must earn our salvation. Rather, we are to reflect our salvation to the world. How is that going? Are we reflecting that salvation? What are some practical ways that we can BE the good news to a world that desperately needs it?
