Don't Waste Your Problems or Struggles

The following was given to us (the congregation) during service on September 9, 2007 but it is still a valid word for today.

Opal Chapman:
This last week God gave me a dream and I knew it was for the church. It's going to seem kind of funny. I want you to follow with me. In this dream we were having company and the house was just a mess. These two guys were staying with us. The kitchen counters were all full of dishes and the tables. It was in such chaos and disarray. These guys were coming in and out, staying the night. Dick came to me, he was sad, and he said, "We need to talk." He said, "I'm really aggravated at you. You knew company was coming and everything is so chaotic." Immediately I wanted to say, "You don't understand," but then I heard the Spirit of the Lord say, "Don't make excuses." So all I said to Dick was, "I'm really sorry, Honey. You're right. I should have had it cleaned up." When we got through talking, I knew he was really frustrated. But I kept saying to myself inside, "You don't know what I'm going through. You don't know what I'm going through. You don't know what I'm struggling through." This is what I kept hearing inside, "You don't even know what I'm struggling with." Then I woke up and I asked the Lord, "Is there anything that I'm doing that I'm not struggling with it in the right way?" The Lord said, "This represents the Body. There are people out there every Sunday and they're not struggling with what they are going through in a healthy way. They are not coming to Me so therefore it is bringing chaos and their life is full of disarray. It is frustrating the people around them. Some of you husbands are frustrating your wives; you're frustrating your kids because you are not walking out what you're going through the right way. It is frustrating the people around you." But God says, "You've got to learn, it is not a question of if we struggle in life, it is a question of when something comes up for us to struggle with." God wants us to know that if we don't struggle with Him, not without Him, we are going to bring chaos around us. Our life is going to be so chaotic, and we are going to make the people that we love the most so aggravated with us. He wants us to know we have got to struggle and go toward Him in the struggle. We've got to be desperate for Him; we've got to be hungry for Him. That when we go through these obstacles, the Word says, "…you're going to have troubles and tribulations, but be of good cheer because I've overcome the world." He says, "I've already fought the battle, I've overcome it." While we are struggling without Him, it produces such a negative force, such a depression. All the time, in the dream, I knew I needed to get up and clean the house, I knew I needed to get up and deal with the chaos. But I kept saying inside, "I can't do it, I can't do it." But when Dick addressed the situation to me and said he was really embarrassed, the first thing I wanted to do was make excuses for myself and then I heard the Spirit of the Lord say, "Don't justify yourself. Accept responsibility." That's what God wants us to do this morning is to accept responsibility then say, "Okay, I'm in this chaos now Lord, get me out because I cannot get myself out of it alone."


Dick Chapman:
You know struggle is a part of life; you can't get away from it. You learn how to struggle, that's the important thing. You may say, "I don't know how to struggle." Let me encourage you in this…go to Jesus in prayer, go to the Word, and go to other people who know how to struggle. People who have a proven track record, who are not bitter, are not resentful, are not hateful, who are not angry; go to others who have learned how to struggle and learn how to struggle. We live in a world consumed with struggle, why wouldn't we be in a struggle as well. How can we help them if we can't even get through our own struggles? God leaves so many struggles in our life so that we can learn how to overcome. Some of you keep saying, "God, just take this out of my life," and He's not taking it away because He's waiting for you to learn how to struggle properly, to go through it, so that you learn to become mature and victorious in life. He's not going to rapture you out of it. He's not going to come and just take this away so that you don't have to mess with it. You better mess with it because it's messing with you. But do it God's way, with Him. I am so glad God doesn't give me my way, He insists upon me following His way. He is the way. If you're in the midst of struggle, you're in the midst of a miracle. If you're in the midst of struggle, you're in the midst of salvation.

If you're in the midst of struggle, you're in the midst of maturity. Greater maturity than you've ever known. And we need mature believers on this earth, not gone to heaven.