Struggling Well

I think this past year we have all had our personal struggles. Today I heard an amazing message from Pastor Billy Hornsby on Struggling Well. I thought that was a unique title for a message because most people do not rejoice in their struggles. It is no secret that I have had some personal adversity in the last three or four months. I was faced with yet another mental challenge and have in some ways leaped forward into action relying more on God’s Will than my own. Sometimes you just have to let go even in the midst of struggles. When you let go of everything and realize all you need is God, that is usually when He gives you everything in return for realizing this truth. You give it all to Him for His Glory, and then He shows up in the dreams you have in your heart.

We must struggle to find our way sometimes. Only after we struggle do we find what it is we are truly looking for. We survive the struggle to see another day, a better day with new beginnings, and with a new year, I plan on beginning anew to pursue my dream of writing and then also starting a nonprofit. The dreams will fall into place because I have laid those dreams down at the cross where only then can they become what they are, a reality.

When we surrender in our struggles, we gain whatever it is we are/were looking for. Hornsby pointed out that our struggles include fear, pain, fatigue, dread, and doubt. I admit that fear and doubt have been the crippling crutches of the enemy with me. When I am fatigued, I am really grumpy. Sometimes you do not want to be in the same room as me. These five areas define our struggles and with these five things we grow closer to God. We struggle well to rejoice in the fruit those struggles are producing. You find the Lord’s Will when you search endlessly seeking him in the midst of the struggles that prevail.

In the midst of struggle, we must take a stand in faith with God. Stand up for what you believe. If there is something you believe the Lord desires, pursue but do so patiently. The Word is our cure. The Word of God is living breath within our bodies to find Him in our struggles. The Bible is a cure to stay grounded in the middle of a storm with fear, pain, fatigue, dread, and doubt. You must focus on today before you focus on tomorrow. Take one moment at a time, but remember to give thanks for every moment in giving it to God. Surround yourself with family, friends, and intercessors. I personally only enjoy being surrounded by those who positively influence my life. Positive energy builds a person up, and if surrounded by an amazing team, you truly will build a future for success in the dreams that unveil before your eyes.

If you go to Church of the Highlands, it is no secret that Billy Hornsby and his wife have serious cases of cancer. I am inspired by this man’s faith in what he does. I only hope that in my writing and my ministerial outlets that I am able to follow this man’s life ambition. He started the ARC, Association of Related Churches where mega churches are planting several campuses for this communal type of worship in building relationships. Saving souls is about numbers, and this man has a lived a legacy where numbers truly count. So remember when you are in the middle of struggles, facing adversity is well-seaming forms means that God has a big future planned for you. Rejoice in the fact that He has you exactly where He wants you to be.