Reframing our Struggles // M-Note 10.14.22

Recently, a friend told me about an article written by a new local business owner. The young woman started her business right before the pandemic. The first year was not good. A global pandemic, an inability to staff it properly, and an inability to get out and meet people all contributed to the first year of this new business being a huge struggle. The story ended with a few lessons that the woman learned from those first 12 months. One line in particular resonated with me. The woman shared these words, “just because you’re struggling, doesn’t mean you’re failing”.

This is not just true in business but in life. I think that a lot of people have this idea that life is always going to get better and better. That if you are doing things right, being attentive, and working hard that things should always get better. But whether it is work, our financial life, parenting, or even our own happiness - we will inevitably hit seasons of struggle. And when we do, our temptation is to think that something is wrong. That somehow, or in some way, we are failing - failing our work, failing our kids, failing our family or even failing ourselves. 

But struggle doesn’t mean failure. Just because life is hard, it doesn’t mean that you are doing it wrong. Instead, sometimes seasons of struggle are seasons of new opportunity and growth. Sometimes we struggle because we took a risk, stepped out in a new direction, or finally made a decision that we had been avoiding. Struggle is part of growth and therefore part of life. 

Paul writes these famous words in Romans, “We even take pride in our problems, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (Romans 5:3-4)

If you or someone you love is struggling today, know this. Just because you are struggling, doesn’t mean you are failing. Today’s struggle is tomorrow’s strength, and it could just be that God is doing a new work in and through you that you just cannot see yet. 

Peace,
Matt

P.S. This weekend, I am continuing our series on Proverbs: Words to Live By. I will be talking about work and the wisdom God offers us when it comes to how we view work in our lives. This will be a great weekend to invite a friend, especially one who may be wrestling with some aspect of their job or a decision around work.