The Bible is filled with exhausted people trapped in their own messy middles. It’s easy to forget that these aren’t just Sunday School stories. They are real people who lived, breathed, and chose to trust that God’s grace and strength would be sufficient when their strength was gone. They persevered.
TIRED OF THE STRUGGLE
“Perseverance”. According to Merriam-Webster, it means “steadfastness and the choice to keep going when things get hard.” I don’t really like the word “persevere”. It sounds so noble and strong—yet every time I am called to persevere, I feel the exact opposite. Sure, at the outset of a goal (Point A), I am filled with determination, courage, and hope. When I reach the finish line (Point C), the sense of accomplishment is almost euphoric. I just can’t stand Point B: the “Messy Middle.” Why is it the Messy Middle? Because finding your way out of a situation isn’t always cut and dry. If I’m being completely honest, I just get so tired of the struggle.
GOAL OF PERSEVERANCE
I used to believe the weariness I felt in staying the course was evidence of my lack of faith. Somewhere along the journey of life, especially since being catapulted into the Valley of Death’s Shadow after my son’s death, I realized that perseverance is the very thing that builds my faith.
MR. & MRS. JOB
Job’s story is one of the well-known ones (Job 1:6-22; 2:1-10). He was so righteous that Satan asked God to test him. God allowed it. All ten of Job’s children, all his wealth, even his health were taken from him in an instant. Somehow, he remained resolute in faith, even in the Messy Middle. In the end, God restored double what was lost in these trials.
Then there was Mrs. Job, well known not for unwavering faith like her husband’s. She encouraged Job to curse God and die. I wonder if she was feeling overwhelmed and desperate for the suffering to end in their story’s Messy Middle. She suffered the exact same trauma and helplessly watched her husband physically suffer. After experiencing my own devastation, I understand her having a crisis of faith, questioning how a supposedly loving God can allow such catastrophe. Although the text doesn’t mention her again after this, I don’t think we can definitively cut her from the restoration story.
THOMAS’ MESSY MIDDLE
What about the Disciple Thomas, known as “Doubting Thomas”? What a legacy! Here’s a man who lived with Jesus for three years, witnessed Jesus perform many miracles, and was present for the feeding of the five thousand. Immediately after that miracle, he watched Jesus and Peter walking on the water! (Matthew 14:22-33). Thomas even performed miracles through Jesus’ authority (Matthew 10:1-8). Yet he doubted after hearing the testimony of Jesus’ resurrection. (John 20:24-29) I love how Jesus didn’t punish Thomas for his unbelief in the Messy Middle. Instead, He tenderly offered peace and then invited Thomas to touch Him and believe.
GOD MEETS US RIGHT THERE
Faith doesn’t mean we won’t struggle in the Messy Middle of this life. Even strong believers have breaking points. The struggle is real. But so is God. He meets us right where we are, with grace big enough to hold our grief, exhaustion, and doubts. If you are in the Messy Middle right now, you don’t have to pretend to be strong. Ask God to meet you right where you are, just as you are. That surrender builds the strength of your faith. Because He is WITH us (Galatians 2:20), we can persevere.