When Life Hurts

Often times in our recovery process, we go through what seems to be insurmountable struggles as we are learning to live life in our recovery. These struggles can appear in almost every area of our lives: physically, emotionally, relationally, vocationally, financially and spiritually. In the midst of all our struggles in recovery, it is very easy for us to feel like we are the only ones experiencing such trials and tribulations.

It’s not long before we find ourselves turning our voices to God asking, “God, if you are so good, why are you letting me struggle so hard?!” Struggles aren’t fun to go through and often times they can make us feel like we are failing or doing something wrong in our efforts to stay in our recovery. Our struggles in our recovery can also make us wonder, “What’s the point of all of this? Is this what the rest of my life is going to be like?” If we aren’t careful, the voices that we hear coming out of our struggles can put us in a place of hopelessness and a relapse won’t be far behind.

Unfortunately, life is full of struggles and there’s no way to live life without them. While some struggles in our lives do come as a result of choices that we make, not all struggles necessarily mean that we are failing or doing anything inherently wrong. It could actually be God’s way to strengthen us for the next level of healing and growth for our lives…and in that struggle, transforming us into a stronger and more beautiful person.

The Story of the Butterfly

To help illustrate God’s divine purpose of our struggles in recovery, let’s take a look the struggle of the butterfly.

One day, a man found a butterfly cocoon in his garden. He watched it for several days anticipating the emergence of a beautiful butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole.

Then, it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and could go no further. So, the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But, it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings.

The man continued to watch the butterfly expecting that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support its swollen body, which he thought would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to become what it was intended to be.

What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restriction of the cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon.

Sometimes, our struggles in recovery are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us and keep us from enjoying deeper healing, transformation, and experiencing the fullness of the life that God intends for us.

Struggles Are Necessary for Growth

When we resist or try to run away from our struggles, we need to realize that we may actually be resisting the very miracle that God is waiting to give us. It’s the endurance of our struggles that make us strong and gives us the strength to walk joyfully and freely in our recovery!

I asked for Strength…and God gave me Difficulties to make me strong.

I asked for Wisdom…and God gave me Problems to solve.

I asked for Prosperity…and God gave me Brain and Brawn to work.

I asked for Courage…and God gave me Danger to overcome.

I asked for Love…and God gave me Troubled People to help.

I asked for Favors…and God gave me Opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted…and everything I needed!

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with addiction or in the midst of a relapse, we at New Life Spirit Recovery are here for you to help you overcome your struggle. Don’t wait any longer and contact us today at 866-543-3361 and let us help you be an overcomer!