Struggle and Pressing On

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3:14 NAS95)

I cannot put into words what I experience right now in my life with God. Part of it touches prayer. Part of it touches obedience. Most of it touches love but being rooted and grounded in it. All of it flows from a deep, deep desire to know God in my own experience and in the community of saints.   

I hunger.  I desire.  I want God in all His Trinitarianness (is that a word?). 

And that remains a struggle.   

I say struggle because as I grow, as I pursue, the desire deepens, the experience of what He gives of Himself continues to blow my mind.  And, yes, there are other struggles, but this remains the central one.

In my current context, God continues to reshape my prayer and interaction with Him. It seems more organic. I don’t understand it. I notice that my sense of His love abounds and yet that same sense stokes the fire for more of Him.

Obedience appears to have a grounding influence in His love. As I attempt to implement what I am aware of from Scripture or as I respond to what He seems to indicate in any moment, my amazement grows. Are things perfect? No. Am I without stress? No? Does everything go my way? No. Do I always see clearly? No.

Yet, God makes me aware of both His desire and my struggle and in the middle of it, I can cry out for His assistance and empowerment. The struggle opens grace to see and experience the wonder of God’s presence and love with me. I might say that without the struggle I would lose the opportunity for God to show me His glory. Inside it all, gratitude grows. And in that gratitude, my understanding, awareness, and knowledge of God, forms my confidence in Him.

Trust happens, but not without trust in Him to risk. In risking I see and experience. My understanding of God moves closer to reality. His Word (as scripture, as Jesus and in His Paraclete) resonates and reverberates as real, true, right, and good.  

So, I press on like Paul toward the goal, expecting the struggle, so that I can grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. When that happens, I’m grounded more deeply in the experience of His love.

Doug Mitts

For Reflection

“For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they render you neither useless nor unfruitful in the true knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:8 NAS95)

• How has God been speaking to you as you have read this? What are you present to in your own walk with God as a result?

• What might God be asking you to consider as you enter struggles, challenges, or various trials? How might He be shifting your perspective?