ELDER: 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 After he had withdrawn from a tournament on Friday, it was reported on Saturday that he had died.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.