Bible Question: Why am I always struggling to succeed in life?

Bible Question:I am a believer in God. When you die something has to happen. I believe I am going to see Him or Her for being a morally sound family loving, good human. I have married for love and adopted kids for love. I always have a job and I am a good dad. That's it, right? I am a good person. Now here is my question: Why is it that no matter how hard I try to provide for my family that I am always struggling to get ahead? I've heard that God has a plan for all of us. Could it be that my role is to be the toy that always gets thrown a curve ball or the pawn that is always used to help someone other than me? If this is the case, then please I pray for a signal, perhaps a lightning bolt to remind me of my place.

Bible Answer: God allows us to go through difficult situations for a variety of reasons: to discipline us for sinning, to keep us from sinning, for spiritual growth, for rejecting God, and for God's glory. We would encourage you to read "Does God Punish?" and "Why do bad things happen to God's people?" But there is also another reason. Read the following passages from the Bible.

The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the dwelling of the righteous. Proverbs 3:33 (NAS95S)

The LORD will not allow the righteous to hunger, but He will reject the craving of the wicked. Proverbs 10:3 (NAS95S)

What the wicked fears will come upon him, but the desire of the righteous will be granted. Proverbs 10:24 (NAS95S)

The hope of the righteous is gladness, but the expectation of the wicked perishes. Proverbs 10:28 (NAS95S)

Notice the contrast between the "wicked" and the "righteous." The wicked are not blessed as much as the righteous. So who is a wicked person? All of us! We were all born wicked. We were all born as sinners into this world.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me. Ps 51:5 (NAS95S)

We may not like these statements but that does not change God's view of us. We entered this world as sinners (Romans 5:8) and we have proven that we are sinners by the fact that we do sin (James 1:13-16). Unfortunately, it is obvious that God does not consider sinners to be good people since He calls us sinners. Romans 3:12 summarizes the truth that from a spiritual perspective we are spiritually bankrupt.

ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” Rom 3:12 (NAS95S)

When we think we have done something good we deceive ourselves. Yes, we may think we have done something good from our perspective, but that is not true from God's perspective. Our good deeds are not as holy as God is holy. God is holy and we are not. Also, God refers to our "good" deeds as filthy rags.

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. Isa 64:6 (KJV)

Being a morally decent, family loving, good, man who married for love and who works hard to provide for his family is not the basis for salvation. That will not gain us admission into heaven or favor with God. God tells us that everyone has sinned (Romans 3:23). We cannot do anything to earn our way into heaven or into God's favor. Listen to Ephesians 2:8-9,

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. Eph 2:8-9 (NAS95S)

We entered this world as one who rejects God. We were not holy. We are all wicked.This means that God is not spiritually blessing us as the four passages above from Proverbs stated.

Now who are the righteous in the four verses above? The answer is that a righteous man is one who believes in Jesus Christ and obeys Him. God Himself, Jesus Christ, died a physical death on a cross in order to forgive your sins and the sins of everyone else. Notice what John the Baptist said about Jesus Christ in the following verse.

The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 (NAS95S)

This is where we must start if we desire to be righteous persons. A righteous person is one who believes Jesus is God and has asked God to forgive his or her sins and to start changing him or her. God wants us to be sorry for all that we have done and to seek His forgiveness. To do otherwise is to be arrogant and to tell God that we are holy and He is wrong. Please read "Peace With God." It will change your life if you ask to God to forgive your sins and take over your life.