“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”
Have you ever imagined what kind of faith you have? How do you respond to unforeseen circumstances that brings mental trauma? Do you blame God, yourself or the devil?
Most times when we go through painful circumstances in life it can be difficult to think that the situation can be an opportunity to measure the level of our faith. I remember when I was a young Christian, not really understanding spiritual things, I used to feel terrible and ask why will God allow such things to happen to people. The first thing that came out of my mouth each time I saw or heard about a problem, was; “WHY GOD”. I had a fixed mindset which always thought bad things should be limited to bad people and good things to good people. Most people are still fixated with this kind of mindset, even Christians. When someone so devoted to God suffers tragedy of different types including but not limited to sickness, marital problems or delays, barrenness, wayward children, financial issues, jobs issues etc., most often, people are quick to condemn them relating such issues to sin. There is no problem that is common only to Christians, however, Christians are supposed to address these issues from God’s perspective.
As I grew and continued to mature spiritually, I began to see how these situations though painful, can be used to build our faith in God. The bible says in Romans 8:28 “and we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” It is interesting to note that there is no definition of the type of things in this bible verse. It states “ALL THINGS”. The Bible is so complete. In our pain, shame, joy, testimonies, etc, God will work it out for our good and for His glory. In the mist of pain we have a choice to still love God and allow the purpose of that situation to manifest itself. It may be that God wants us to spend more time with Him. During such times we may ask the WHY QUESTION, but our focus in that situation should be; GOD WHAT ARE YOU TRYING TO TEACH ME THROUGH THIS? There is always a lesson in every situation. 2 Corinthians 5:7 says “For we live by faith, not by sight”. If we walk by faith, our focus should not be so much on the problem but rather on God’s promise because He will not lie according to His word in Number 23:19 “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?”
It may be a difficult journey but God knows the beginning and end of every thing, so we need to trust Him alone. Painful circumstances may take us by surprise but to God nothing surprises Him. The psalmist says in Psalm 66:10-14 “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver. You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. You let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance. I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill my vows to you. Vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble”. God watches us when we go through troubling times. Silver is known by its name when it’s been polished through a furnace. One can only imagine what that pain can be. The good news is that God does not abandon us in the fire. He is there with us. His grace is sufficient. It is only after we come out of the furnace that we can shine like silver, a place full of the abundance of His blessings.
No body likes to go through pain, however as believers, we can exploit every opportunity in life to grow in our faith in God. As we grow in our faith, it also assists us in becoming ambassadors for Jesus. It is always great when we use our own testimonies to minister to others. This does enables us to connect God’s word from the Bible to its practical application. According to 1 Peter 1:6-7 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed”. Our trials are meant to sharpen our faith and when we are able to endure to the end, the Bible says it is worthier then gold and this is what brings joy and glory to God.
To all of you out there going through a painful situation, be encouraged today that in whatever you may be going through, know that God is right there according to Job 23:10 “Yet He knows the way I have taken; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.”
Finally, give God the opportunity to build your faith now through your pain so that next time when pain shows up, you will have the strength to trust God and remember this bible verse; 2 Samuel 16:12 “Perhaps the LORD will see my affliction and repay me with good for the cursing I receive today."
Let’s pray:
Father, in the name of Jesus I thank You for the free access I have to come before your throne through the blood of Jesus Christ. Lord, I am blessed that You care for me and know every detail about me. I thank You for the pain I am going through right now. Please Father, I ask that you show me what I need to learn through my situation. I pray You will grant me the grace to go through this pain in the name of Jesus. I also know that Your word says I should count it joy when I go through pain as this is how my faith in You will develop over time. Help me Lord to remain strong through all of this so that at the end You will receive Your glory and I will get my blessing. Thank you Lord for building my faith through my pain in Jesus mighty name I pray. AMEN