"Saved, but Struggling"

I recently got a comment and the lady signed off, saying she was "saved but struggling".

As I read her comment, I couldn't help but think how much that sums up the Christian life. Saved. But struggling.

Aren't all of us Christians "saved but struggling?" If we're not currently struggling, a struggle is undoubtedly JUST around the corner. And that's the whole point. Contrary to some of the errant doctrines that are SO popular and SO winsome and attract SO many people, God's AIM is not to make us happy. Nor does He aim to makes us comfortable. Nor does He promise to make life easy.

As Christians, His purposes for us include sanctification (the process of being made holy) and teaching us to identify with Christ through humility, submission to the Father's will, and suffering. If those things were items on a menu, do you think any of us would choose them? They're HARD things. But they are GOOD things. There are things that are hard and are struggles because we have made stupid decisions and are being foolish. But then there are things that are hard that are GOOD because God is using this fallen world with all of its corruption and pain and hurt and shame to shape us and sharpen us according to His will. And that is what I want. And it's what the believers path looks like. Hard things that all work together for good.

Praise God! I'm struggling and saved!