Grateful for the Struggle

As unpleasant as it might sound, there’s something that we should always be grateful for: our struggles. Seems strange, right? Why would we be grateful for challenges, trials, and temptations? Shouldn’t we be avoiding that stuff? 

The reality is that our lives are full of struggles, and God uses them to help us grow. Struggles are actually a sign of His love for us, that He wants us to be more than what we already are. 

The only way to grow in holiness is to be challenged and stretched. Holiness doesn’t just happen — God doesn’t make the transition for us, we have to work for our shot at sainthood. 

For example, maybe there’s been a time in your life when you wanted to be stronger or run faster, but lifting weights and spending time on the treadmill sounded downright awful. However, without the struggle of lifting weights and running on the treadmill, those goals are just not possible. We need the struggle to grow. 

So, the next time life’s struggles are getting you down, maybe give some thought as to how God might be using those challenges to make you better, to grow in virtue, and to grow closer to Him.