A Word for Our Arbor Family
I’ll be honest—I’m struggling. Struggling with temptation. Struggling with sin. Struggling to forgive people who have purposely hurt me. Maybe you know that same battle.
But here’s the truth: The struggle itself is a sign of life! It means God has planted His Spirit within you. It means you care enough to resist, to fight, to endure. Paul reminds us, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). The struggle is proof that God is at work!
So instead of fearing the struggle, we can rejoice in it. James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2–3). That perseverance leads to maturity in Christ.
The struggle is not wasted. It is evidence of growth. It is the Spirit shaping us into the likeness of Jesus. Paul encourages us in Romans 5:3-4: “We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
So when you feel the weight of the battle, take heart. You are not failing—you are fighting. And in Christ, your fight is never in vain. “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
Your struggle is not your defeat. It is God’s workshop, shaping you day by day into something more beautiful, more faithful, more whole, more like Him.
But here’s the truth: The struggle itself is a sign of life! It means God has planted His Spirit within you. It means you care enough to resist, to fight, to endure. Paul reminds us, “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). The struggle is proof that God is at work!
So instead of fearing the struggle, we can rejoice in it. James writes, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2–3). That perseverance leads to maturity in Christ.
The struggle is not wasted. It is evidence of growth. It is the Spirit shaping us into the likeness of Jesus. Paul encourages us in Romans 5:3-4: “We glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
So when you feel the weight of the battle, take heart. You are not failing—you are fighting. And in Christ, your fight is never in vain. “Being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).
Your struggle is not your defeat. It is God’s workshop, shaping you day by day into something more beautiful, more faithful, more whole, more like Him.