Struggles are real.  They are not just figments of imagination.  They are real…and they can be paralyzing.

As I write this, I have just received three text messages from people asking for prayer about their struggles.  Honestly, as I write this, I sit here with some struggles that are causing me great distress.

The reality of struggles causes us to worry, have a bad attitude, have a short fuse…all of which keep us from living for the glory of God.  I realize my current struggles have caused me to be short with my wife and kids, smile and laugh less, and be sleep depraved.  As real as the struggles are, the effects are just as real.

So, understanding that struggles are real, I believe that we (specifically me today) need to remember some simple truths:

1.  God cares about us – 1 Peter 5:6-7 –  “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”
2. God helps us – Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
3. God has a plan – Romans 8:28 – “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
4. God has given us the church – Galatians 6:2 – “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”

I will pray for you today.  You pray for me today.  And may God receive all the glory with however the struggle turns out…even if it’s not the way we would like it to turn out.  The struggles are real, but our God has real control.