Life Main Product or Byproduct

We all struggle with some thing or other. Some struggle with people; some with process; some even more struggle with patience, or any combination; people, process, patience. Yet struggle is the essence of life.

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Struggle seems to be a key byproduct of life. It happens as we travel, and just like when friction slows the physical rate of anything on earth, struggle happens as a result of our toil, and it is manifest in all sorts of ways. (Struggle Happens: sounds a bit like the fashionable saying popularised in Forrest Gump, 'sh.. happens' -- but couldn't be more different.)

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Isn't it bizarre that when we pray most for our struggles to alleviate; to have more patience in our trials, that we get opportunities to grow in our approach to these things -- it's like God has a twisted and wasted sense of humour. Struggle is still byproduct.

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When Moses when under the severe strain of threatening rebellion from the people of Israel, he was struggling. Told by Pharaoh to produce the full quota of bricks without the necessary straw to fill them, the Hebrews told Moses and Aaron they hoped they'd be judged most severely by God for bringing this curse against them. Moses cried out to God. (See Exodus 5)

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And so do we! It is easy for us to grumble against life when dealing with the inevitable byproduct, struggle. It is perplexing that we don't get a magical answer to our prayers to handle it so much better. Life just seems to get harder... if we focus on the byproduct... and not on the Main Product.

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Main Product is what we're truly here for. It's correct perspective, or better put 'corrected' perspective. Main Product expects life to be tough and is relieved and joyful when toughness abates temporarily. It is compassionate, kind, humble, gentle and patient. It doesn't expect much, and so it's rarely disappointed. Main Product is about life, truth, love, wisdom, reality, eternity, significance, brilliance, majesty, grace.

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Main Product is patient and real. It's something to focus on; we never 'get there' and we can only ever aspire to it. Main product is the ability to overcome -- "hypernikomen" -- we are more than conquerors... (Romans 8:37) ... through One. Main Product is from the Lord. Main Product is the ability to overcome our struggle -- the byproduct of life. Like lactic acid build-up in an exercised muscle is the byproduct, is the byproduct of struggle to life.

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Let us not grow weary, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. (Galatians 6:9) Consider it pure joy, brothers and sisters, in our many trials of all kinds. (James 1:2-3)

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Struggles endured prove patience and develop character; character to overcome and reap Main Product.