Christian Struggles

“Teri, don’t stop writing.” These are uncomplicated words, but they re-ignited my creativity and boosted my spirit. Those words came from Vera, one of my favorite sisters in Christ. She delivered this gentle reminder to me after one of the church Bible study classes. As always, she blessed me. 🙂 But, this time, she did not know I was dealing with some heavy Christian struggles on that day.

We all have our own battles, you know? Like when you just want to speak your mind but have to keep quiet or when you have to swallow your pride and be selfless when you have needs of your own. Or even when you let that jerk cut you off of in traffic. We all struggle with something as we try to be more like Jesus; you know what I’m saying? It ain’t easy walking out this Christian faith, but it’s worth it.

Christians need to open up about our Christian struggles.

One of the reasons people think Christians are fake is because we don’t talk about our struggles. Instead, we talk a good talk and pretend everything is ok all the time. We are not honest. We are not transparent. We are ashamed of having struggles. The funny thing is that while we are walking around acting “perfect,” other people are struggling – just as we are. Just think of the support we could have if we were just open about our hard times.

One of the biggest Christian struggles is to be transparent.

Why don’t Christians share their struggles?

People often hide their struggles for a variety of reasons.

One of the reasons behind this tendency is the fear of judgment.

One key factor is the fear of judgment or rejection. In the realm of faith and personal growth, this can relate to the perception that admitting struggles might be seen as lacking faith or strength.

As a Christian blogger for women, I want to encourage you to understand that everyone faces challenges on their journey of faith. It does not mean you have weak faith.

Admitting our struggles can make us vulnerable, and fear that others will see it as a weakness.

Nevertheless, you must bear in mind that even the most faithful individuals confront moments of hardship. Concealing your challenges may even make things worse.

Because it may lead to feelings of isolation, preventing you from seeking solace and understanding from others. It is vital to acknowledge that we all go through trials in our spiritual journey, and by sharing our burdens, we can find comfort and support within the community of believers. I know I’m harping on this, but I feel I should.

Talking about the stuff we’re going through not only helps us feel better knowing we’re not alone but also gives others the chance to find inspiration in our own path.

However, acknowledging our challenges can lead to valuable connections and support, helping us navigate the struggle better.

Now, I’ve established we all have struggles. Now, let’s talk about the types of challenges we all may deal with.

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Here is a list of things Christians struggle with: 

Lying
Idolatry
Pride
Uncontrolled Anger
Fornication (any sex outside the marriage)
Stealing
Jealousy
Lust
Greed
Laziness
Disobedience
Witchcraft (including horoscopes, psychics and fortune-tellers)
Taking God’s name in vain (irreverent use of the Bible and God’s authority)
Breaking promises
Not attending church 
Disrespect of parents
Filthy talk (harsh jesting)
Unmerciful
Abortion
Drunkenness
Impurity

This list of common Christian struggles in life can go on and on, and I know you do have a life to live outside reading my Christian woman’s blog. So, I’ll stop 🙂 

Hmmm…I find myself on this list like anyone else. I know you do, too.

If your struggles are like the ones above, confess.

Confessing your sins to the Lord is an important part of our Christian faith. It is a practice that allows us to acknowledge our shortcomings, seek forgiveness, and strive for spiritual growth. Through confession, we humbly approach God, recognizing our need for His mercy and grace.

Confessing is a chance for us to look back on what we’ve done, said, and thought, and see if they match up with what Jesus taught. It’s a time for us to dig deep and take ownership of our mistakes, and make things right with God and the people around us and the people we may have offended.

In the Bible, we find so many passages that emphasize the significance of confession.

Psalm 32:5 says, “Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.’ And you forgave the guilt of my sin.” This verse reminds us that when we honestly confess our sins, God is faithful to forgive us and free us from the weight of guilt. What a blessing, right???

Besides, confessing is not only a one-time thing but an ongoing practice. It’s a lifestyle.

As Christians, it is our responsibility to constantly examine our hearts, confess our sins, and seek God’s guidance in our lives. Proverbs 28:13 tells us, “Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” This verse encourages us to be open and transparent with God, knowing that He offers us His compassion and forgiveness. In this journey of spiritual growth, let us remember that God is always ready to receive us with love and restore us.

Other kinds of struggles

Your Christian struggle might be ordinary life trials. Like the one Vera caught me in the other day when she gave me that encouragement. So many things can go wrong at any given time. Life is hard. but, I have news.

You have access to every spiritual resource! You can quickly access a sword to fight (the Word of God).

Proof is in Ephesians 6:10-18:

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.
12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,
15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

You are covered and you fight with weapons that are mighty to the PULLING DOWN of strongholds and everything that rises against the knowledge of God!

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Don’t let the battle or those Christian struggles get you down!

Ignore the wicked, petty, or negative people who are not even saved. Don’t let them get you down.

Pray for the weak Christians who allow Satan to use them to attack you.

Know who you are and the power in you! You are God’s girl; the very Holy Spirit of God is inside you!

You got something better than the weapons of Wakanda. 🙂 *Sorry, I love Black Panther*

Anyway…you’ve got Jesus!

Take your place, walk in love, and do your thing!

Fight like a soldier

You must be active in the battle for your peace and creativity. What did I say? You need your armor on, you need to pray, and you need to be rooted in scripture during life’s challenges.

I know it can be hard. But hard is not impossible!

I’ll use my personal voice here and say when I don’t spend time with God, it’s tougher for me to recognize Him at work in my life.

It doesn’t matter. He’s still working.

He works in good things; He is at work in bad things; he’s even at work in “NO THINGS (i.e. when nothing seems to be progressing).”

He’s God and uses everything – even the struggles -in our lives for good. I just have to let God use me during and after the battle.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28

Again, when I don’t spend time with Him, I often miss that point and the very ability to see beyond what I’m going through.

Time with God is CRITICAL to handling and managing life’s struggles!

Turn off the television, stop listening to people with limited faith, and trust your God to work in impossible situations.

He can. Pray that God will open your eyes so that you may see with eyes of faith.

God is not panicked and neither should you be

The Word of God clearly states that God is a God who neither slumbers nor sleeps. He is always in control and fully aware of what goes on in the lives of men – especially those who belong to Him.

Don’t you dare allow the enemy to fool or deceive you with that “where is/was God?” crap. He is with you, working it all out for your good.

That type of thinking angers me, and I know it must frustrate the Lord to.. See, the Bible is chock full of stories of people who could have easily felt forgotten and wondered if God was on hiatus like we sometimes feel.

For example, when Moses went up to the mountain, the children of Israel had to wonder, “What the heck is going on?” or “What’s up with this dude leaving us down here?” They were childish and turned to things other than God. We can’t be that way.

Again, we simply need to trust Him regardless of how things “look” during our Christian struggles. That’s faith!

You’re protected in your Christian struggles.

God of the universe can do anything. Anything.
We still have a part to play, remember?

I’m intentionally telling you this repeatedly so it sears into your brain muscle. We always have a role in our deliverance.

Pray, Girl! Use your spiritual discipline!

God moves as His people pray, and as His people pray, He moves.

(How clever, I must remind myself of that often). 🙂

You can’t doubt for one minute that God is working it all out.

One Final Thought

Finally, take care of your physical body as you experience Christian struggles.

You should be fully aware by now that you must stay spiritually grounded as you go through life problems.

You have to also push through the urge to do absolutely nothing. Stir up your gift, operate your creativity, and know that God is working everything out for your good. Nothing is wasted.

 Now, it’s time to talk a bit more practical. Have you ever noticed that you seem more physically tired when you go through hard times?

You (and me, too) need to take care of your physical body. You need to eat right, and you need to spend time on things that fuel your body as well as your spirit. It’s a package deal. They both need you!

 Honestly, it’s easier for me to care for myself spiritually than physically. I’m terrible at taking care of myself. I hate taking vitamins, I don’t like exercise, and I like eating all the bad things rather than the good ones. Honey, I will reach for a Snicker bar over a piece of fruit any day of the week. That’s just me.

 Unfortunately, that won’t work when you’re going through a hard time. It simply will not. It takes physical strength to get through the day when times are “heavy.”

Today, I challenge myself to do better. I hope it inspires you to do the same.

Here’s the self-care I promise myself moving through my Christian trials (and all the time, I hope):

1. I will no longer prepare a meal for my family, only to have a cookie and a Coke in front of the computer.
2. I pledge to eat some kind of healthy breakfast every day.
3. I am determined to bring some activity to my life – be it yoga or walking with my DVD.
4. I will drink at least five glasses of water a day (that’s the best I can do for now).
5. I will say “no” more often than I say “yes” for the rest of the year. Further, when I’m tired, I will stop and give my body the rest it craves.
6. I will take at least a multivitamin every day.
7. I will allow myself frequent time to read a book I enjoy – regularly.
8. In adding myself to the list, I promise to let myself “off the hook” when everything is not perfect. That Proverbs 31 Woman stuff will kill ya!
9. From this day, I will scale back my consulting business, trainings, websites and technical assistance projects. I’ll trust God to guide my career. If I miss Him and make a wrong decision, He’s big enough to find me and re-position me. Today, I trust Him with everything instead of trying to be everything.
10. I can’t think of a #10 right now. Any ideas you can share about how you take care of yourself?

That’s it! An exhaustive encouragement effort to guide you and me through our Christian struggles.

One thing is for sure. If you’re not going through a Christian struggle now, you will. It is the cycle of life.

Keep on creating. I will.

In my case, I won’t stop writing.

Keep on moving and keep on trusting Jesus, Christian lady!

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