Why Do Some Struggle?
This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
-- Psalm 34:6
Why do some people -- good Christian folks who tithe faithfully -- always seem to struggle financially? The question came from the heart. I had no answers.
The simple answer is that God’s ways are not our ways. We don’t understand the why of everything. And, frankly, we really don’t have the right to ask God to explain. Sure, we want to know. But He is God, our Creator, our LORD. He is the potter and we are merely the clay. He owes us no explanations.
That said, why do some people who just seem so self-focused appear to be wealthy and successful and living a life free of worries and full of charm? And why do other people seem to struggle daily to pay for basics, even as they worship God and care for the needy and volunteer and give of themselves? It doesn’t seem right and it doesn’t seem fair.
That’s exactly what Satan wants us to believe. He wants us to think that God isn’t fair. Satan wants us to believe that God is unkind. It’s not true, of course. But Satan plants those doubts inside of us and then slowly chips away at our faith.
And yet Jesus always ministered to the poor. He had compassion and reached out in kindness. Jesus drew the poor to Him and surely appeared to favor the poor and the needy, the outcasts and the sick, over the wealthy and powerful.
And yet they continue to suffer. Not just in our country, in our midst, but in other countries where just finding clean drinking water or food is a luxury and death is always knocking at the door. Why? Well, why not? We do live in a fallen world. Sin is rampant and swirls around us, whether we’re aware of it or not.
I don’t mean to sound flippant or uncaring. I’m not. I know what it’s like to have plenty. And I know what it’s like to struggle. Surely, I would rather not struggle. It’s exhausting and draining, embarrassing and just plain hard. But I also recognize that the struggle draws me closer to God. Without it I would likely still be one of those people sliding through life with a faith that was far less vital and alive.
See, I need God. I love Him. I respect and adore Him. I am eternally grateful for the gift of his Son, Jesus Christ. But, beyond all of that, I am totally dependent on Him. I couldn’t begin to make it through the day, the week, the month or the year without His financial help and emotional strength.
So why do those who love the LORD and seek to know and obey His will suffer and struggle through life? Only God knows. But we have a choice: We can either believe Satan’s lies or God’s promises. We can let the struggle push us away from our life source or use it to draw closer to the One who will never let us down and will always provide everything we ever truly need.
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