November 22, 2021: Having Trials in Our Lives Produce Joy and Strength...Is That True in Our Lives?

Many people who go through trials in their life grit their teeth when they see the trials coming and pray hard that God will help make the trial go away soon.

The trials themselves can be very painful and hard to endure, depending on the type of trial it is. But no matter what type of trial whether it be family, personal, financial, or relational, they can be very heart-wrenching.

Early in my years as a new Christian, I was unfortunate to go through very many hard trials in my life. The trials were unfortunate at the time, but after a while, God began to show me

the purpose of the trials in my life. I began to understand what the Apostle James said in the Book of James in his first chapter:

James 1: 2-5

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

It all comes down to our perspective. If we are going curl into a ball and cry uncontrollably and let the pain of the trial control our emotions, then of course the trial can be very painful. But if we come to realize that God has allowed the trail to come into our life for a reason, then we can begin to see and understand that God has a purpose for our life. He loves us and wants us to come to maturity and become complete in Him.

And if we are lacking wisdom and understanding, then God say, we should ask Him for understanding and wisdom and He will give it to us generously, without finding fault. But to be able to see and understand the wisdom and understanding God gives us, we must be willing to "surrender" ourselves totally into His hands and allow the Holy Spirit, who lives in us, to guide us in this understanding.

PERSONNAL COMMENT:

We must rise above our trials and see the trial from God's eyes. Allow the joy and strength to come from God as we continue through the trial. As I go through trials now, and they still do come, I ask God, almost immediately, to begin to show me what He wants me to learn in this trial. As we come to surrender to the trial more, then the peace of God will begin to overwhelm our heart as we go through the trials of life. May God continue to mature us and bring us to completeness in Him.