February Devotional: What's up with all my struggles?

Why do trial and struggles come? Are they really necessary? What is the purpose of struggling? I'm sure you have all heard the story about the butterfly but just humor me why I tell it again.

 
A man was walking through his yard and came upon a baby butterfly starting to emerge from its cocoon. He watched it struggle for a long while but it seemed stuck pretty bad! The man immediately got scissors and cut open the cocoon. Something was strange – the butterfly just couldn’t fly. In his haste to help the butterfly, the man didn’t realize that the difficulty to get out of the cocoon was God’s way of helping the butterfly to grow strong wings and survive in the wild.
 
That man not knowing the purpose for the struggle the butterfly was enduring caused the death of the little creature. Although it wasn't his intention, he prevented the butterfly from growing in a very necessary way.
 
James 1:2-4
 
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
 
James tells us that we are like that butterfly. We need to endure trials and struggles in order to grow our spiritual wings and muscles. God allows us to go through trials so that we will be perfect, lacking in nothing. Sounds nice hey? When your trial or struggle seems to be coming down really hard on you,  here are a few things to remember.
 
1)It's only temporary (2Cor. 4:17)
2)It makes you an heir with Christ (Rom. 8:17)
3)It's a sign that you're doing something right (John 15:1)
 
Be encouraged today, your struggle is not without purpose and you will make it through. God promised you would. So bring on the struggles and let's get perfect.