The Road of Struggles_01We all struggle with something in our life. For some of us  it is anger, time management, depression, feelings of guilt, resentfulness; the list could be endless.  One of my personal struggles is with food addiction; sweets to be exact!   You know those “Mini Cruller” donuts that you can get?  Yeah, I’ve eaten the whole bag on the way home from work while topping it off with a pint of skim milk.  (Like that makes it all ok…HA!)

What is a “struggle”? 

Is it “To make one’s way with difficulty”, “To have difficulty handling or coping with” or is it “To strive to achieve or attain something in the face of difficulty or resistance”?  When it came to my struggle with sweets, I would feel guilty when I lost the battle.  I would always ask myself, Why? Romans 7:15-24 gives an explanation.  (Please read 15-24 for the whole context.)

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do”(Romans 7:15)

“What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from

this body that is subject to death?” (Romans 7:24)

Continue to verse 25 and it tells us…..

 “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25)

I’ve admitted to myself the weakness in me; God opened my eyes and showed me I was enslaved, enslaved by Satan.  Remember that it’s the enemy that enslaves us (our yokes that we carry, burdens of guilt, addiction, worry or whatever we struggle with), because he is intimidated by us, and our power over him through Christ Jesus who set us free from him.

“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1)

Dear friends, ask God to reveal what Satan would prefer to stay hidden in your life.  Ask HIM for the strength to put your struggles under your feet.  This is not to say your struggles won’t rise from time to time. I still cannot look at donuts without having crazy thoughts for days, BUT with  God’s help we can experience fewer days with struggles and more days of calm, success, and peace!

Building strong marriages together,

Amanda Hughes