Sharing in the Struggles
What is it about humans that make us think we need to be strong? That showing any sort of weakness makes us less-than or not enough. Is it pride? The pleasure and satisfaction of one’s own achievements and successes? Can we not be seen as anything less than perfect?
At the end of Acts 7, Stephen is executed by stoning. The first verse of the next chapter is, “And Saul approved of his execution.” (Acts 8:1, ESV) One chapter later is the conversion of Saul. Obviously, God could have used anything as part of Paul’s story, but he saw the struggles and the posture of Stephen in the last moments of his life crying to God.
Later in his letter to the Galatians, Paul writes, “They only were hearing it said, ‘He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.’ And they glorified God because of me.” (Galatians 1:23-24, ESV) Paul is explaining that people were amazed at his transformation and they glorified God because he was changed.
When we share our struggles and our trials, we gain the opportunity to expand the people glorifying God because of His work in us. Transformation displays evidence of the new life offered to believers. If no one ever sees our beginnings, how will anyone see our transformations?
The transformations throughout the bible were witnessing to the people of the time. In John 9, Jesus miraculously heals a man born blind. John writes, “As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. And his disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’ Jesus answered, ‘It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.’” (John 9:1-3 ESV) The all-knowing Jesus was teaching a message about God’s plan and that our lives are opportunities for God’s glory to be displayed. Jesus also healed a lame man in John 5. Plus, the meeting and forgiving of the woman at the well in John 4 shows that miraculous transformations weren’t just physical.
For us, the opportunities to share are everywhere. We can jump onto social media, the phone or wherever ranting about inconveniences we consider real problems come easily. But the real valleys in life, the ones where transformation happen…those are the things we hold close and keep out of the light. Over and over, scripture tells us about bringing things into the light. Jesus casts out the darkness. Community that is light casts out the darkness. We were not made to do everything by ourselves.
How we respond in a struggle tells us what we truly believe about God. If we are struggling, but still put faith in God, we are being salt and light (Matthew 5) for both the believer and the unbeliever. When we ask for help, we break chains and lies about being self-sufficient. When we work together for the good of others and share each other’s burdens, we walk in light and give God the glory.
In the gospels, word of mouth was how people heard about the miracles of Jesus. No one was pulling out their phones to live-tweet their day and there are no videos of any miracles. The miracles needed to be grand. This allowed the story to be more overwhelming and unbelievable, while also providing proof that people needed to become followers of Jesus instead of seeing Him as just a prophet.
What does our story tell others about the new creation we’ve become because of Christ? Our testimony isn’t insignificant because we don’t have a conversion like Paul’s; every transformation is important and purposeful. Don’t forget that! But if we never share our story, no one ever knows how God changed us. We need to make sure we’re living a life that is a life easily identified by what God has done within us.
