James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Our faith will be tested; this is just a fact of life. How we deal with these times, is what is most important.
Often when trials come our way, or things don’t go our way; we quickly pray to God for the trial to end or pray for the circumstance to go our way instead. Not that there is anything wrong in praying this way. However, if we only pray this way and fail to see the other side of the coin, we could be missing out on a blessing in disguise.
James 1:5-6 “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.”
Sometimes we are led into trials or difficult circumstances in order so that we may grow. It is not that God has forsaken us, nor that He is not with us; in fact, it is quite the opposite. His promise to us is that He is forever faithful, and that He is always there with us. When we truly believe this, we allow ourselves to see these trials differently.
We allow ourselves to say to God …”OK, this stinks, but I am going to trust in You Lord and rely on You as we go through this. How can I grow from this Lord? Are you moving me into a new season? What is your purpose and plan in this Lord?”
I recently heard a testimony from a woman that is living this Scripture completely in her life. She is battling cancer, and she thanks God for the cancer. Why would anyone say this, you may ask? She will gladly tell you it is because this trial in her life has allowed her to share His Good News with so many people that she would never have encountered in her life otherwise. Now this is a woman who has complete faith and trust in God when it comes to her life.
Take a moment to step back from your trial. Step outside of it and ask God to give you a new perspective – His perspective. When we see things how God sees things, we grow, and we are continually transformed by His Grace.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 “Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me.”