God Will Use Your Struggle To Position You For More

foreign are fighting hidden battles people behind closed doors are wrestling and struggling with real issues some are fighting hidden and faceless battles others are facing internal battles and you'll find that those who fight their battles behind closed doors will always have masks on masks of Happiness masks that make it look like they're doing well they still lift their hands up in church they still sing loud during praise and worship but when they get home when they close the door behind them they are in a fight and so you you have a perfect cocktail for depression anxiety stress addictions and lots of other issues the sad reality of this world is that people are dealing with incredibly difficult circumstances and one lesson we all have to learn in this life is that trouble is inevitable but my brothers and sisters I would like to submit to you that it's how we interpret and deal with that trouble that determines how well we are able to handle it many people go through life believing they should not experience any trouble leaving them upset and bitter when it comes some believe that if they live a good honorable law-abiding life no serious trouble will come their way but life has a way of reminding us that it's no respecter of persons trouble falls on the righteous and the Wicked on the rich and the poor trouble falls on everyone regardless of skin color or religion even no one is exempt from trouble sickness and disease don't care about how good you are tornadoes earthquakes and hurricanes all don't care about your list of good deeds we will all face problems the question then is not how can we avoid trouble and issues in our lives but how can we better deal with them the first thing that we need to note is that you are not your issues we are obsessed particularly in Western culture with labels feel the pressure the need to put labels on everything however sometimes our labels attach identities to People based on their struggles for example someone that struggles with addiction is an addict someone that struggles with alcohol is an alcoholic someone that has fallen into adultery is an adulterer someone that wrestles with fornication is labeled a fornicator do you see the problem with this it's marrying a person's issues and struggles with their very beings and identities this is a violation of the image of God and human beings so I want to tell you today that this is not how God sees us God does not see us for our issues the Lord does not see us for our struggles but God sees us for who we are in him we are created for a purpose we are created with gifts and a calling experiencing a problem or an issue in this journey of life should not be your identity you are so much more in Jesus God does not see us where we are but rather for where he's taking us to God you are not defined by your struggles or your issues God can see past your issues to see the real person underneath who you were before the struggles who you were before the trauma and the crisis and the baggage and the broken hearts that is who God sees you as now if we allow God to he can take us through the process of healing to overcome these struggles crisis traumas baggage and broken hearts God is in the restoring business you are not your issues we must always remember this our identities are based in Christ and not on our issues to God you are not an alcoholic you are his child who is struggling with alcohol you are not an addict you are his child who is struggling with addiction to God you are not a fornicator you are his child struggling with fornication now in saying that I do want to be clear and tell you that sin is still sin God does not tolerate sin he loves you you as his child even though you are struggling with sin this should never be an excuse for us to continue living a life of sin though we should fight strive and be resilient to live righteously before him there will be things you struggle with but ultimately you can struggle while you are being set free and being delivered or you can struggle with sin and do nothing about it which is wrong God does not identify you with your sin any more than you identify your children with their mistakes no matter how many mistakes your children make they are always your children there's nothing they can do to take them out of that designation in the same way the Bible says who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword for I am sure that neither death nor life nor angels nor rulers nor things present nor things to come nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our lord nothing you can do can take you outside the realm of God's grace and mercy your issues do not define you you are defined by love you are not the alcohol you struggle with you are not the addiction that holds you captive you are not the depression that suffocates you you are not the trauma that has been inflicted on you you are a child of God you are beloved so much so that while you were yet a sinner Christ died for you so even if all the odds are against you continue to trust in the Lord and He will raise up a standard against the enemy people of God don't be defeated in your heart don't feel defeated in your mind no matter what you face be anchored and fixed on Jesus the trial you face may not look like Paul and Silas in prison it may not be a den of hungry lions but your situation might seem just as hopeless and just as intimidating however when you're in the thick of it when you have nowhere else to go don't allow yourself to be moved be unshakable in your faith be unshakable because you have God's promises to fall back on be unshakable because you have the Holy Spirit who will be your strength and your helper foreign [Music]