Believers Need Help in Life’s Struggles 

Last weekend the sudden death of a professional golfer was in the news. After he had withdrawn from a tournament on Friday, it was reported on Saturday that he had died. Later the family issued a statement revealing that the young man had tragically taken his own life. Apparently this golfer had been very open about his struggles with alcoholism, anxiety, and depression. However, earlier this year when he was in the spotlight for winning a tournament, I recall some people suggesting that he had seemed to turn his life around recently. After his death, I heard one of his colleagues say that within the past year or so this young man had put his trust in Jesus as His Savior. While the report of his newfound faith can be an encouraging note in the midst of these tragic circumstances, it can also serve as a reminder about the ongoing struggles we can face as believers.

On the one hand, repenting of our sins and putting our faith in Jesus and His death on the cross for our salvation is a life-changing event. Jesus compared it to a new birth. It not only changes our relationship with God but it transforms our hearts and lives. In a very real sense, we become new creations in Christ. We go from being condemned slaves of sin to becoming forgiven children of God. We exit the pathway leading to destruction and enter the road that will take us to heaven. The drastic change due to the Spirit of Christ cleansing us and taking up residence in our hearts would be hard to overstate.

On the other hand, as important as that salvation event is and as momentous a difference it makes for us, it doesn’t automatically resolve all the issues in our lives. Not only may we still have to deal with some of the consequences of our pre-faith lives, but we will also continue to encounter temptations and challenges to our faith. We will find that there are yet tendencies within our own hearts that will seek to pull us in wrong directions at times. We may struggle with some of the same issues we dealt with as an unbeliever, only now we have some greater resources to draw from as we fight those battles. We have the presence of the Lord, the promises of His Word, and the power of the Holy Spirit to assist us. We have a loving Father whom we can talk to in prayer and lean on for support. And hopefully we have other believers on whom we can rely.

We need to remember that the Christian faith isn’t only about a moment of conversion, as significant as that is. It is also a journey. The Bible appropriately describes it numerous times as a “walk.” We must keep moving forward step by step. Our commitment to Christ isn’t just a one-time decision, it is a daily choice. Jesus said that we must daily take up our cross and follow Him. And there will be struggles, temptations, and challenges all along that pathway. Some will come from forces around us, while others will spring up from within us from the remnants of our own fallen nature. Therefore we need to be on guard for both ourselves and for others.

This tragic incident in the golfing community should remind us all to seek the help and support of others when we need it, but also to be the encourager and supporter that someone around us may need. Even as believers we will struggle. Let’s pray for each other and be there for one another. Let’s continue to lean on the Lord every day, every moment. As the old song says, “Lord, we need Thee every hour.”