I'm Blessed, But Why Am I Still Struggling? | Steven Furtick

Summary

This transcript explores the tension between feeling blessed and grappling with personal struggles. It highlights how even when people know they are blessed by God, they often wrestle with internal and external challenges like fear, pain, or uncertainty. The speaker emphasizes that it's okay to feel conflicted while still trusting in God's plan. Using the story of Jacob's wrestling with the angel, the message conveys that struggles are part of faith, and surrendering control to God helps alleviate the pressure. The source of strength lies in trusting God's promises, not personal efforts.

Takeaways

• 🙏 The presence of blessings does not mean the absence of struggles or pressure in life.
• 😕 Many people wrestle with feelings of confusion despite knowing they are blessed.
• 🩺 Even while trusting in God, people still have concerns and worries about health and life situations.
• 💔 People often struggle silently, with internal battles that no one else sees or understands.
• 💪 The real battles we fight are often invisible, happening in places that are difficult to explain.
• 🤝 External issues and struggles should not be confused with internal sources of strength.
• 🌟 The source of the blessing determines the strategy to maintain it, and if it comes from God, it’s His responsibility to sustain it.
• 🧠 Many people carry a duality of emotions: being blessed but also wrestling with unresolved pain or questions.
• 📖 Christianity and blessing are not based solely on personal discipline or outward expressions like reading the Bible or prayer habits.
• 🙌 Giving praise to God helps relieve the pressure of life’s challenges, especially when external circumstances feel overwhelming.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the script?

The main theme of the script is the tension between feeling blessed by God while simultaneously struggling with personal challenges and uncertainties. It explores how blessings and struggles can coexist in one's life.

What does the phrase 'I'm blessed, but...' signify in the script?

The phrase 'I'm blessed, but...' reflects the idea that even though someone may feel grateful for their blessings, they still face real-life struggles, doubts, and hardships. It emphasizes that faith and blessings do not eliminate challenges.

How does the speaker relate to Jacob's story in the Bible?

The speaker draws a parallel between Jacob's wrestling match in the Bible and the internal struggles we face. Just as Jacob wrestled alone in the dark, the speaker suggests that many of our struggles are unseen by others and often internal, making them harder to fight.

What lesson does the speaker take from Jacob's fight with Esau?

The speaker explains that worry and anxiety often make us fight battles that may never happen, depleting the strength needed for real challenges. This reflects Jacob's unnecessary fear of Esau and the unseen struggle he faced.

What is the significance of the wrestling metaphor used in the script?

The wrestling metaphor represents the internal conflicts we face that are often invisible to others. It suggests that these struggles, much like Jacob's night fight, are difficult because they are intangible and occur in the depths of one's mind or soul.

How does the speaker view praise in the context of relieving pressure?

The speaker views praise as a way to release pressure, especially when fighting unseen spiritual battles. By externally and verbally praising God, the speaker feels that it helps combat internal fears and challenges.

Why does the speaker emphasize the difference between visible and invisible struggles?

The speaker emphasizes that visible struggles can be fought with visible solutions, but invisible struggles, like emotional or spiritual battles, require a different approach. This is to highlight the complexity of personal challenges that are not always obvious.

What does the speaker say about being 'conflicted' in the context of faith?

The speaker acknowledges that being conflicted or struggling does not mean a lack of faith. People can still believe in and love God while wrestling with doubts, pain, or emotional difficulties.

What does the speaker suggest about the role of discipline in Christianity?

The speaker suggests that discipline, such as reading the Bible or praying regularly, does not define the strength of a Christian. Rather, it’s about understanding that blessings come from God, not from personal effort or discipline alone.

What is the 'good news' the speaker offers about handling pressure?

The good news is that if God is the source of the blessing, then the pressure to maintain it is on Him, not on the individual. The speaker reassures that God, who initiated the blessing, will be responsible for sustaining it.

Outlines

00:00

💡 The Blessing Amid Pressure and Struggle

The first paragraph explores the tension between feeling blessed and dealing with life's pressures. It highlights how people can feel both grateful for their blessings and yet struggle with various challenges—physical pain, addiction, emotional eating, or fears about the future. The speaker addresses the common misconception that struggles or doubts invalidate one’s faith in God, emphasizing that it’s possible to be blessed and still wrestle with internal and external battles.

05:07

🤼 Wrestling with Internal Struggles in the Dark

The second paragraph connects the idea of wrestling, both metaphorically and literally, with life's hidden battles. Drawing parallels between Jacob’s biblical struggle and modern-day internal conflicts, the speaker reflects on how people often fight unseen battles at night—both physically and emotionally. The discussion moves to the deeper truth that wrestling with unseen, internal struggles requires a different approach than external conflicts. The source of our struggles often determines how we fight them.

10:09

🤲 The Burden of Blessings and Trusting God's Plan

The third paragraph delves into the theme of maintaining faith and trust in God's ability to complete what He started. It touches on the fear of losing blessings and feeling responsible for keeping up with what God has given. The speaker reassures that the pressure to sustain blessings does not rest on individuals but on God, and that external praise or performance isn't the key to victory—faith is. The narrative also explores the idea that many people equate Christian discipline with spiritual success, when in reality, God’s blessings don’t come from mere efforts but from His grace.

Keywords

💡Blessing

In the context of the video, a blessing refers to a positive outcome or a divine favor that the speaker acknowledges they have received in their life. The video emphasizes that being blessed does not mean an absence of struggles or difficulties. For example, the speaker repeatedly mentions, 'I'm blessed, but…,' showing that blessings can coexist with personal challenges.

💡Pressure

Pressure in the video is associated with the weight of responsibility, stress, or internal conflict that accompanies blessings. The speaker discusses how one can feel blessed and still experience pressure from life's struggles, such as health issues or emotional battles. It underscores the theme that external success or divine favor doesn’t exempt people from hardships.

💡Wrestling

Wrestling is used metaphorically to describe the internal struggles and conflicts people face. The speaker relates this to the biblical story of Jacob, who wrestled with an angel, symbolizing the spiritual and emotional battles that occur when one feels both blessed and burdened. The wrestling at night also highlights unseen struggles, illustrating that some of the most challenging battles are those fought internally and privately.

💡Confusion

Confusion represents the mental and emotional uncertainty people feel when their blessings are accompanied by hardships. The speaker talks about being confused about feelings and thoughts, expressing the difficulty in reconciling being grateful for blessings while still struggling with pain or unresolved issues. This confusion reflects the tension between faith and doubt.

💡Faith

Faith is central to the video's message, as it refers to trusting in God despite the challenges that come with blessings. The speaker mentions how they believe in God's provision, even while dealing with personal struggles like health concerns or emotional distress. Faith is shown to be a source of strength in navigating life's uncertainties, but it doesn’t always eliminate worry or fear.

💡Struggle

Struggle is a recurring theme in the video, used to describe the ongoing difficulties that individuals face, even when they are blessed. The speaker references emotional, physical, and spiritual struggles, such as health problems, addiction, or emotional eating, showing that struggle is an inevitable part of life, even for those who have received blessings.

💡Addiction

Addiction is used as an example of a personal struggle that someone can experience alongside their blessings. The speaker mentions addiction as a burden that can 'kick your butt,' highlighting the difficulty of overcoming it despite knowing that one is blessed by God. This illustrates the internal battle between one's faith and unresolved personal issues.

💡Control

Control refers to the speaker’s desire to manage or overcome their struggles, but feeling powerless to do so. The script mentions attempts to control emotional eating, health problems, and other personal issues, but ultimately acknowledges that some battles are beyond human control. This idea ties into the theme of surrendering to God’s plan and recognizing that control is not always possible.

💡Worry

Worry is highlighted as a mental and emotional state that depletes strength, especially when anticipating problems that may never materialize. The speaker mentions worrying about things like health and life circumstances, showing how worry often leads to unnecessary internal battles. This reinforces the message that faith can help alleviate some of the burdens of worry.

💡Strength

Strength, in this context, refers to the inner resilience needed to overcome struggles, which the speaker emphasizes comes from God rather than personal effort. The video illustrates how the source of strength is key to overcoming the internal wrestling match, and faith in God provides that strength. The speaker mentions that when God starts something, He will finish it, implying that divine strength is what sustains blessings and alleviates pressure.

Highlights

The presence of blessing does not eliminate the pressure one may feel.

Confusion often arises when we feel blessed but still struggle with life's pressures.

People can acknowledge their blessings while simultaneously dealing with ongoing challenges, like health issues or personal struggles.

The 'blessed but...' concept shows how individuals are thankful yet still grappling with difficulties.

Wrestling with unseen struggles at night represents internal battles we face without external visibility.

The source of your struggle determines the strategy needed to overcome it.

Worry depletes strength by engaging us in battles that may never actually happen.

Jacob's wrestling in the Bible symbolizes how we struggle with blessings and the pressure they bring.

Real struggles often remain unseen by others, even those closest to us.

The external battles we face often represent deeper, unseen internal struggles.

Ambition, like Jacob's desire to be first, can cause people to grab for things that God is already willing to give.

Being a Christian is not about strict discipline but about receiving God's blessings in a trusting, gospel-centered way.

When God begins a blessing in your life, the responsibility to sustain it rests on Him, not on you.

Praise can relieve pressure by reminding us that the source of our strength is divine.

God's blessings don’t depend on how much we pray or read the Bible, but on trusting Him fully to guide us.

Transcripts

The presence of the blessing does not mean  the absence of pressure. Sometimes we get  

confused about the things we feel. Sometimes  we get confused about the thoughts we have.

"I'm blessed, and I know I should trust  God, because I know I've seen him come  

through before. I am blessed. I have seen  so many times that he came through for me,  

but I'm waking up lately at 3:00 in the morning,  and it's not just because of my liquid intake.  

I'm working through scenarios right now that  I can't figure out how to sort. I'm blessed.

I mean, don't get me wrong, man. I'm not in here  to complain to you. I'm blessed, but I've got to  

go back to the doctor next Wednesday. And he's my  healer. God is my Jehovah-Rapha, but I still kind  

of wonder what this doctor is going to say  to me when I go see him on Wednesday." I'm  

describing scenarios. These aren't my scenarios.  These are the "buts" you brought to church.

A man told me, "I'm so grateful God  allowed me to open this restaurant,  

but I've got this pain in my shoulder right  now. I'm coming in, and I'm getting here at  

4:00 in the morning. Will you pray for me,  Pastor? Because I trust God, but my shoulder…  

God has blessed me with so much, but this hurts.  I'm waking up with this pain in my body. I'm not  

able to sleep at night. Would you just pray for  me? I love God. I trust God. I'm blessed, but…"

Don't get this confused. The load I carry does  not mean I don't love God, nor does it mean that I  

doubt his love for me. I'm blessed, but… "Yes, I'm  blessed, but this addiction is kicking my butt.  

Yes, I'm blessed, but I still can't understand  why I emotionally eat, so every diet I try fails,  

because there's something driving me back to  that eating, and I don't even know what it is.

Yes, I'm blessed, and I'm not complaining,  because I know there's somebody somewhere  

who doesn't even have food to eat. So I'm  not comparing myself and saying that I don't  

appreciate what God gave me. I know overeating  is kind of like an American 'blessed people'  

problem to have anyway, but I still have  it. I'm blessed, but I can't control this,  

and I don't know how to control it, because  I'm wrestling with something I can't see."

"I'm forgiven of my sin, but I don't feel  free from it yet. I know it's under the blood,  

but it's still going on in my house. I can say the  right words to you, and I can sing the right songs  

with you. I'm blessed, but…" You probably  don't want to hear about this. I'm blessed,  

but… This is what I feel sometimes when people  say, "Boy, it must be wonderful to know that God  

uses you to help thousands of people through  your preaching. That must be a blessing."

It is a blessing, but… Y'all don't  want to hear about that. No. It's just  

the Holy Spirit just flows, and I  just let him say what he wants to say,  

because it's his work, not my work, and  it's his way, not my way. I believe that,  

but sometimes I want to get up and say what I  said last week, "Do it," and walk off the stage.

The amazing thing about this wrestling match…  Let me give you another verse that… To me it's  

not confusing, but it shows what Jacob is going  through in this passage. Verse 24 comes around,  

and he has sent everything  across the stream because he  

has to deal with Esau. He thinks  Esau is the enemy he has to face.

What happens is he has a fight he didn't plan for  as he's getting ready for the fight he's not going  

to have that he thinks he's going to have. This  is kind of what worry does to you. It gets you  

fighting battles that probably aren't even going  to happen to deplete you of the strength you need  

to do the things you can do, to affect what  you can affect, to impact what you can impact.

The Bible says that after Jacob was separated  from all of these blessings…donkeys, camels,  

ewes, Rachel, Leah, Simeon, Levi, and all of these  tangible expressions of blessing… After those have  

all gone, it says in verse 24, "So Jacob was left  alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak."

Now, I have been in a nostalgia hole all week  watching 1991, 1992, and 1993 wrestling matches.  

I don't mean the kind where they compete on a  collegiate level. I'm talking about the Four  

Horsemen. I'll be honest. I even went past… I quit  watching wrestling when I was about 13 or 14. I  

even went past when I stopped watching wrestling,  and I watched when Hulk Hogan became a bad guy.

That was heartbreaking, because when I was growing  up he was telling me to eat my vitamins and say  

my prayers. I had a little Hulk Hogan workout  cassette tape, and I listened to that thing. To  

watch Hulk Hogan look at the crowd and say, "Shove  it…" I'm like, "'Shove it'? You're our guy. You're  

our hero. How could you do this to me?" I was  watching it all week long, but I was watching it  

through the lens of Jacob. I was trying to figure  out what that had to do with Jacob. I realized  

it right here. You know, they have a lot of  arguments about "Is wrestling fake or is it real?"

I heard one wrestler say something. He was like,  

"Let me slam you, and then you can see how  real it feels or how fake it feels." So,  

when the Bible says he was wrestling, and  he was wrestling alone, it lets me know  

two things. First, no one else got to see how  he struggled. No one else saw this struggle.

Secondly, he wrestled at night, which  means that even he couldn't see what he  

was struggling with. Isn't that the nature  of the real things we wrestle with? I'm not  

talking about where the issues show up in  our lives; I'm talking about the source  

of the issue. The source of the issue  determines the strategy for the battle.

So, if you live your whole life thinking, "Oh,  well, I'm wrestling against them. I'm fighting  

against them. I need to convince them, if they  would just appreciate me," you are making them  

the source of your struggle. If they are the  source of your struggle, and they are a person…  

If they're external, if it's an issue… If it's the  source of your struggle, then the source of your  

strength is also external, because the source  of your struggle will determine the source of  

the strength you need to defeat that struggle.  I'm going to make it plain in just a moment.

When I'm fighting with something I can see, I need  to fight with things I can see. If I'm fighting  

against something that is visible, I need to fight  with something that is visible. But what do I do  

when the fight is happening at night? What do I  do when the fight is happening in a place in me  

that I can't even really tell you about and I'm  not even really sure you want to hear it anyway?

Because I'm blessed, but… I'm thankful, but…  I've come so far, but… I told God I didn't  

want to preach this message to you, because  the "Yes, I'm blessed" thing works so much  

better on Sunday without the "but." But when  you come to this church, as long as I get to  

be the pastor, you can bring your "blessed  but" into this church every single Sunday.

What does that mean? You can come in  confused. What does that mean? You can  

come in conflicted. What does that mean? You  can come in crying. You can leave crying. You  

don't have to shout. You don't have to clap.  You don't have to say, "Amen." You don't have  

to have a highlighter. You don't have to know  35 Scriptures. You don't have to know how to  

quote the Apostles' Creed. You don't have to  be born in the right place at the right time.

You can be conflicted and still come. In this  church, you can bring your "blessed but." You can  

come in here with questions and not even leave  with answers, but throw up your hands and say,  

"I met with God fresh, and the angel told me  it's going to be all right." Your "blessed but."

You're blessed, but you struggle. You're  blessed, but you wonder. You're blessed,  

but you're still not completely healed from it  yet. It happened 15 years ago. "I'm blessed,  

but there's a part of me that still can't  forgive what they did to me. I'm blessed,  

but I still replay it in my mind. I'm blessed, but  I still run back to it when the pressure is on.

I'm blessed, but I still can't make sense out of  it. I'm blessed, but I still don't feel ready for  

it. I'm blessed, but I still feel exhausted when  I go to it. I'm blessed. God has given me so much,  

but I spend so much time wondering, 'Can I keep  it up?' Because God gave it to me, but I can't  

keep it up." Here's the good news: if he started  it, then the pressure is on him to finish it.

You need to remember that the source determines  the strategy. If the blessing comes from you,  

then it's on you to keep it  going, but if it comes from God…  

I learned this in my life. When I give him praise,  it takes off pressure. Somebody said to me, "Y'all  

praise God at Elevation Church very externally  and very openly, and it's kind of shocking."

I'm like, "Why is it shocking?" The world  is crazy externally and verbally. So,  

if it's crazy externally and verbally, then  when I'm fighting back against the craziness,  

I need to fight it externally and  verbally. So, if the Devil is telling me,  

"Esau is going to kill you," I need to speak  back and say to God, "You promised. I have  

your word on this. I have your assurance on  this. I'm in the middle of your purpose."

So Jacob… Oh, I love this story. It's so amazing,  because Jacob all of his life has been blessed  

by grabbing on to what he wanted. Oh, he's  a go-getter. When Jacob sets his mind out to  

do something… This is how ambitious Jacob is.  When he was born, Esau was coming out first,  

and he came out… All y'all Bible nerds,  don't ruin the punch line for me.

He came out grabbing the heel of his  older brother so he could be first. So,  

they saw him doing that, and they were like, "We  need to call him Jacob," because Jacob means heel  

grabber. What amazing creativity. Secondly,  what an amazing picture of the way he lived  

the rest of his life and the way so many of us  do…grabbing for something God wants to give him.

Let me be honest with you. We live in a time  where it's very easy to confuse Christianity  

with discipline. To be a good Christian, in  many of our minds, means "This is how much  

I'm going to read the Bible. This is how much  I'm going to pray." And I hope you read the  

Bible and pray a lot and more and more every day.  I hope you do, and I hope I do. I hope we all do.

That isn't what makes you a Christian. That  isn't what makes you a better Christian.  

That isn't even what makes you a strong  Christian, just by how much you pray,  

how much you read the Bible. That  is not how to be blessed God's way,  

the gospel way. The reason I know that in my  life is because I've spent too many of my years  

thinking the blessing of God was something I  had to hold on to or it would get away from me.