~Growing Through Trials~

What a week!  It has been a season of trials lately.

I have a friend who adopted a little girl a month ago.  The mother is a drug addict and isn’t sure who the father is.  The mother chose to give her baby up for adoption instead of turning her over to Child Protective Services.   Now a man who is possibly the father of the baby is coming forward to contest the adoption.  The whole adoption may fall through.

Another friend is having financial difficulty and her husband is not making wise financial choices putting their family further into debt. 

Just last week I had a confirmed diagnosis of Lymes Disease and am going through a very painful treatment.  My body hurts all the time and I am so very tired.

Where is God in all of this?  The answer is:  He is right here giving us the strength to go through these trials.  Not only that, He is working out these trials for our good.

“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.” (Romans 8:28)

What good can come from a baby being taken from a loving Christian home and given to a single man who might very well have a drug problem?  What good can come from a family who might lose their home because the father is making poor financial decisions?  What good can come from a potentially debilitating disease?

The answer is:  I don’t know.  The beauty of it is that I really don’t need to know because God has the whole situation in His hands and He DOES know.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.  As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”  (Isaiah 55:8-9)

I can choose to trust God and His word and live my life with genuine faith, or, I can shake my fist at God and say “Why?!”  I choose to trust.  This is the point where our faith becomes real, the point where it has real substance.  When we choose to trust God and His Word, despite what the circumstances look like around us, we grow in our walk with Him.

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1)

I have come to understand more and more how, God’s perspective is in light of eternity.  He sees the beginning from the end and so, when He promises that He will “work all things together for good”, He is saying that from an eternal perspective.  I may not be able to see the good that comes from a situation by looking at the circumstances, but that does not “nullify” God’s word.  God’s word always trumps my experience.  We are living in a fallen world and trials will always be a part of it.  However, looking at the trials from God’s perspective will help us to grow closer to Him.

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

This verse says it all, “…in Me you may have peace.”  That is the secret to growing through trials.  It is in our relationship with Christ that we will have peace.  Christ has already won every battle we are going to face; “In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”  The word “overcome” here means “to conquer”.  Jesus has already conquered all of our trials for us; our part is to trust and rest in Him.

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matt. 11:28-30)

What about you?  What trial are you going through?  Whatever it is you can trust that Christ has already overcome it for you.  You can trust Him to work out your trial for good.  Rest in Him and you will find rest for your soul.