A Mother’s Heart - 8/26/2009 - Struggle Develops Strength

In my home, I try to surround myself with little reminders that God is present with me in every moment of my day.  A flip calendar by Joyce Meyer is by my kitchen sink.  This message caught my attention today, “Struggle Develops Strength”.  She writes:

“Before the caterpillar enters the cocoon, it has to crawl slowly along the ground.  But then it spins a cocoon and crawls into it for a while.  When it emerges from that cocoon, it has been totally changed.  It has become a butterfly, one of the freest of God’s creatures.  It can soar through the air on beautiful wings.  But to emerge from that cocoon is a struggle, one that is necessary for the butterfly’s full transformation and development.

I once read about a man who saw a butterfly struggling to emerge from a cocoon.  Moved by misplaced compassion, the man decided to help the poor creature, so he broke open the cocoon and pulled the developing butterfly out.  In just a matter of minutes the weakened creature curled up and died.
If we didn’t struggle through some things, we would never develop the strength and stamina we need to survive in this world.”

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, Who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, will Himself complete and make you what you ought to be, establish and ground you securely, and strengthen, and settle you.” 1 Peter 5:10

May you be encouraged that our struggles are not in vain, but that they will develop our strength.