Recently someone asked me these series of questions:
- Why does God allow temptation?
- Why do I feel like my prayers don’t make a difference? I don’t feel any different after I pray.
- Why do old sins that I thought I had overcome keep coming back up?
- Why is the Christian life so hard?
Maybe you have asked those same questions or had those same thoughts.
First let me say this… the every fact that you are wrestling with these things is proof that you have a tender heart toward God and are trying to do what is right. If you don’t care about following Jesus you would not be bothered by temptation, unanswered prayers, or slipping back into sin. Struggle is not a sign of weakness. Instead it is a sign that you are still in the fight.
Second let me say this… God does not tempt us, but He does allow us to face trials, temptations, and struggles, so that our faith can grow even stronger (James 1:2-4). Even Jesus was tempted, so when we face temptation its not proof that we are far from God, but instead we are walking the same road that Jesus walked. Yes, the Christian life is difficult and full of challenges. Jesus said, the “way is narrow” hard but it leads to life (Matthew 7:14).
Third let me say this… Prayer is not always going to lead to a “feeling” afterwards. Prayer is not designed to chase emotions. Its about trusting the tGod hears us and words in ways that we don’t always see. When we fall into an old sin, we must remember that God’s grace and mercy is bigger than our mistakes. His grace does not run out. Even Paul admitted that he had his own battle within himself. He had moments of struggle and often did the very things he did not want to do (Romans 7:15-25). That does not mean he quit nor should we. It means we are to lean harder on God to get us through.
So if you feel like the walk is difficult, remember that you are NOT alone. Every Christian stumbles, struggles, and questions at one time or another. What matters is that we keep on getting up, keep praying, keep repenting, and keep trusting. Struggling means that you have not given up and more than that it means God is active in your life helping you overcome. His grace is sufficient, and His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Stay faithful, stay humble, stay in the Word. Remember, God is for you even on the hardest of days of the Christian life.
Blessings,
Alex Mills