From the Belly of a Whale

From the Belly of a Whale

“The Struggle is Real”

I have a love-hate relationship with the phrase, “the struggle is real" because on the one hand, it describes perfectly that feeling of sheer challenge you feel sometimes. On the other hand, I hate that it is used to describe things that in my humble opinion, are just not that danged hard.

Primary example: if you spill your coffee and you don’t get a parking space the struggle is most certainly not real.

If you face depression, you fail at your dream job, you are diagnosed with cancer or you are losing your mom then the struggle, in this case, is real.

One of my favorite stories growing up was about Jonah. I related to how Jonah stubbornly refused to obey God. But God basically chases him into the belly of a whale until Jonah realized how pointless it is to refuse anything from God. I liked it because Jonah was like me: stubborn and wildly stupid enough to think he could run from God.

Of course, we all try to run from God and we all are stubbornly stupid about certain things.

What does this all have to do with the phrase “the struggle is real” though, you’re wondering? Great question.

Sometimes, the struggle is real for us in a season (aka, we are stuck in the belly of depression, loss, pain) because we are just being stubborn. Sometimes it is because we are running away from our calling.

“Oh great,” you may be thinking, “this is one of those you’re having a hard time because you sinned posts.” Hold on a second, for pity’s sake, I’m not done!

My actual point is this; I believe God redeems our struggles and I trust he even turns them into blessings while we are even still in them!

“Woa, hold it,” you might be thinking. “My losing my job, my loved one or my health is not a blessing.”

As someone who has been on the brink of death a few times, saw dreams shatter and lost a few loved ones, please let me explain how I do in fact, believe it.

This is where the phrase “the struggle is real” fits in. In James, the Lord reminds us that we should “consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).

Which means that it is in the struggles, in the real nitty-gritty parts of life, that is where some of the best joys and blessings are found. The struggle, then, is the real test and joy-producing part of life sometimes.

Would I personally prefer not to have to go through all the struggles? Hi, I’m human and my name is Lydia. Duh, I would. But we are walking with the Almighty God. We don’t live for “me, myself and I” anymore. So if God tells me, “this is going to make you stronger, wiser, more loving, etc” then I can’t go be like Jonah and run away from it. I’ll end up sitting in the belly of my problems, my pain, whatever it is, and be able to do nothing.

Do you want to live your life in whale jail! Hehe, sorry, I really had to say it. But think about it, do you?

Some of this is really heavy. I don’t claim to be an expert or even to know that this is 100% Biblical. I hope and pray it is, though, otherwise I’ll answer to God about it someday.

Anyway, I’ll wrap this up by saying this. If you find yourself saying “the struggle is real” today, ask yourself, “Ok, God, what are you trying to teach me here? Where is the blessing?”

I think you might find yourself surprised by His answers.