The Struggle: Part 1
One of my favorite songs is the title track of Tenth Avenue North's album,
The Struggle. The opening line of the chorus goes, "Hallelujah, we are
free to struggle, but we're not struggling to be free." Over the next two
days I want to take a moment to explore these two truths and how they relate to
one another.
Today will be the first half. Hallelujah we are free to struggle.
When I first became a Christian, I had the misconception that God expected me to be perfect. This made my faith just another area in my life where I had to perform. Church became like test, retreats and mission trips like a recital. The problem with performances is that they come to an end and all the performers return to their original roles. Just like the actress on stages, I wasn't really who I claimed to be.
This began to change when I discovered the truth of forgiveness.
I often fall into the trap of believing that when God forgives me, it comes with a condition: don't do it again. How could God honestly chose to overlook my faults unless He believed that I was never going to make the same mistakes again? Would anyone really forgive me knowing that I would hurt them again?
This view does not give God nearly enough credit. Forgiving someone who has changed is easy. Forgiving someone with the possibility that they will repeat the same offense is harder. But it is this kind of forgiveness that we often need most.
I believe that one of the reasons people return to the same sin again and again is because they never truly believed they were forgiven in the first place. At least, I find this to be true in my own life. When I ask God's forgiveness, I know that he has promised he will give it, but somewhere deep in my heart a small voice haunts me: You know you will do it again. You promised last time not to and you already have. You can't change.
It is this voice that leads us into temptation, down the path that we have stumbled so many times. What's one more time if we've already screwed up so many times before?
The voice of God, however quiet it may be at times, beckons us down a different road. This is the road of true, self-sacrificing forgiveness. This is the road where falling down doesn't mean starting over. Because God has promised that with each scraped knee or step in the wrong direction, He will be there to heal us, to guide us, and to love us.
The road is not easy, nor will God clear the path for us. But our God is a persistent God, and no matter how many times we cry out for help, He will answer. Perfection is not something God requires of his children, only an honest heart that will love Him. We're messed up, but in our weakness He is strong.
Hallelujah, we are free to struggle.
Today will be the first half. Hallelujah we are free to struggle.
When I first became a Christian, I had the misconception that God expected me to be perfect. This made my faith just another area in my life where I had to perform. Church became like test, retreats and mission trips like a recital. The problem with performances is that they come to an end and all the performers return to their original roles. Just like the actress on stages, I wasn't really who I claimed to be.
This began to change when I discovered the truth of forgiveness.
I often fall into the trap of believing that when God forgives me, it comes with a condition: don't do it again. How could God honestly chose to overlook my faults unless He believed that I was never going to make the same mistakes again? Would anyone really forgive me knowing that I would hurt them again?
This view does not give God nearly enough credit. Forgiving someone who has changed is easy. Forgiving someone with the possibility that they will repeat the same offense is harder. But it is this kind of forgiveness that we often need most.
I believe that one of the reasons people return to the same sin again and again is because they never truly believed they were forgiven in the first place. At least, I find this to be true in my own life. When I ask God's forgiveness, I know that he has promised he will give it, but somewhere deep in my heart a small voice haunts me: You know you will do it again. You promised last time not to and you already have. You can't change.
It is this voice that leads us into temptation, down the path that we have stumbled so many times. What's one more time if we've already screwed up so many times before?
The voice of God, however quiet it may be at times, beckons us down a different road. This is the road of true, self-sacrificing forgiveness. This is the road where falling down doesn't mean starting over. Because God has promised that with each scraped knee or step in the wrong direction, He will be there to heal us, to guide us, and to love us.
The road is not easy, nor will God clear the path for us. But our God is a persistent God, and no matter how many times we cry out for help, He will answer. Perfection is not something God requires of his children, only an honest heart that will love Him. We're messed up, but in our weakness He is strong.
Hallelujah, we are free to struggle.
"Every retreat a recital." What a great line, and so true. Sometimes it feels like there's so much pressure to act the "right," church-approved way that it's hard to hear God's voice. Thanks for a great post, Jessica.
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