Struggle

I've been thinking about struggle lately, and have come to the conclusion that struggle is a part of life.  It is a part of life because we are all imperfect people living in an imperfect world.  We struggle with dealing with prayers God has decided not to answer in our lives, we struggle with dealing with  personality conflicts, and we struggle with certain decisions we must make.  We struggle with plans we must make for the future, we struggle with the memories of past failures, and we struggle with issues we cannot change. 

Struggle, I believe, is a part of life whether or not we are living a Christian lifestyle.  In fact, I would venture to say that struggle is harder as a Christian because we have committed to living a certain lifestyle in front of the world, and we are being watched. Some are watching to see where our imperfections are, ready to point out when we lose our cool in certain situations or when we make the wrong decisions in other situations.  Many non-Christians believe that Christians should be perfect.  They do not understand that we are still human and will be until the day we die.  The difference is that as Christians, we should be striving after Jesus' word on how to live the Christ following life.  We are to be God-chasers, always growing, not keeping the same bad attitudes and bad  behaviors year in and year out, hoping no one notices; telling the world that 'this is just the way I am, take it or leave it.'   

I believe as Christians, when we mess up or when we do not handle certain situations properly; when we just do not have it in us to deal with certain personalities, we can and should talk to God about it.  I believe when He sees that we are trying and that we do not want to remain at the same level but that we want to chase after Him, trying every day to be more like Him, he will forgive us. 'Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.' Psalm 32:1. 

I believe the key as Christians is to realize that we will never be perfect, but that we serve a perfect God who knows we will never be perfect.  He knows that we need forgiveness, but it shouldn't be for the same bad attitude from 10 years ago.  We should be growing.  In fact, we should be growing in all of our relationships, not just the relationship we have with Jesus.  But that's another blog for another day.  Life is a struggle, but that's no excuse.  Let's continue to strive for that right attitude and that right response.  It's a struggle, but I know I will.

Personal poll-taker

I am a personal poll-taker.  What is a personal poll-taker you ask?  I like to ask people certain questions during the course of conversation then make a mental note of their answer.  I have learned quite a bit over the years about human nature.  We are more alike than we want to admit.  Most of us believe we are so individualistic there is no one else like us on the planet, and of course to some extent that is true.  No one has the same fingerprint after all.  I find that amazing!  But what I am referring to is the fact that we all bleed red blood.  We all feel hurt and pain, we all want to live a good life, and we all desire respect. 
 
There is one poll where I don’t ask questions however.  I just observe.  Please note the word observe.  I do not judge, I observe.  When we find ourselves in serious trouble: health issues, financial problems, marital problems, and the list goes on; to whom do we turn?  I’ve noticed that in the aftermath of horrible events such as thousands killed in earthquakes, terrible tornadoes, debilitating hurricanes, and monsoons, many people turn to God.  We turn to Him directly if we are Christ followers and for those who are not, they show up to church for a few Sundays in the aftermath or they ask Christ-following friends to pray for them. 
 
What does this have to do with my poll-taking?  I like to see who sticks with God and who forgets once the storm has passed.  Do you see why I said in the beginning that I observe I do not judge?   It’s not rocket science to watch how people live before, during, and after a time of testing.  Some people go back to life as they knew it and others decide they want to continue a relationship with God, with Jesus Christ. 
 
No, all of our problems do not go away once we have a relationship with Christ, but life is put into perspective and we have someone to turn to at all times.  Not just when times are bad.  We talk to Him and thank Him during the good times as well.  That’s what relationship is.  It’s not different because it’s with Jesus.  Any relationship would suffer or die if it were not maintained.  In fact, most of us would be upset if we had a friend who only showed up or called when they needed something.  How about you?  Is it back to life as usual once the trial is over?