Struggle is often viewed as something undesirable, and is rarely considered a trophy or as a reward. No matter what our view of struggle is and how hard we try to avoid it, the Christian life is marked by it.
The first time I did a half-marathon, I had a lot of friends who couldn't make sense of it. Why would someone go out of their normal routine to push their body to a painful limit of running thirteen miles and even paying a considerable amount to take part in it? As a runner, I have learned one thing: that pain is not always a bad thing. In fact, it can be a prelude to a greater prize once we reach the finish line. When running the distance, I wasn't focused on the pain. I was looking to the prize and it felt good. It's the same way when we run with and towards God in the sense that it will always be marked with struggle and suffering.
There is nothing wrong with comfort. God promises comfort many times in His Word, but when all we experience is comfort and good times we can become too complacent and start stagnating in our walk with God.
The first members of the early church understood what it was like to struggle with persecution, trials and hardships. Their response was something that we can note and learn from even today. In Acts 5:41, it says, "Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name." What is it that determines our attitude towards suffering? It's our perspective.
Struggles will always exist in our lives. Even Jesus said that in this world we will experience tribulation (John 16:33). We can be naysayers who just conclude that suffering is our dead end or we can view it the way the first disciples saw it - or as a marathon runner would see it - as a necessary journey to a bigger prize.
James 1:2-3 gives us a powerful perspective of suffering and struggle: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
The ultimate prize of struggle is that we always come out better. Struggle is the one thing necessary to growth. Without struggle and trial, we will not grow. Just as James 1:3 says, we become "perfect and complete, lacking nothing" only through experiencing the momentary sting of affliction.
Struggle can hurt and it can stretch you in various ways. There are bad things that come out of struggle, but there are wonderfully glorious things as well. When we count ourselves worthy of this struggle, we will respond to it not in remorse and regret but rather in rejoicing.
