And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?.
Matthew 27:45
Newsflash! Jesus himself went through hard times while he was on earth.
So the question to ask yourself is: “If Jesus, the son of God experienced persecution and suffering while on earth, Who do I think I am, that I shouldn’t have to suffer hardships or persecution?”
Where did we get the impression that a life hid with Christ is free from tribulations
Sometimes I am concerned for people who became Christians because they were promised a perfect life without troubles; they were promised that all they have ever wished for and desired is in Christ. So these Christians begin to grow weary in faith when all of their needs are not met despite their many years of service in Christ.
While our God has the power to do all things and is the source of all good things, he is not a genie that grants every wish.
Sharing in both the joys and suffering of Christ is exactly what we signed up for when we surrendered our lives to Christ. In Philipians 3;10, Apostle Paul expresses his desire to “…know Him (Jesus) and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death”.
Some christians have strayed or allowed their faith to dwindle because of trials and temptation; they believed the lies that the devil whispered into their ears. Lies such as “if God is faithful and all powerful; if he truly loves you, why is he allowing you going through so much pain and hurt?”
One important thing to bear in my mind is that God is sovereign and omniscient, he knows whatever trials we are facing and those we would still face. Nothing can catch God by surprise, if something happens to us, know that God allows it.
Here are five truths every believer needs to hold on to when going through trials or tests of faith:
1. You have been assigned this mountain to show others that it can be moved
God also allows us to go through trials so that when we overcome them we can encourage (or comfort) those who will go through the same tests. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4.
2. Our trials give us a chance to encounter the wonder working power of God:
Trials are also a way for God to prove himself strong and show forth his wonder working power. If you or someone close to you has never been ill, how would you know that God is indeed a healer ( and a miracle worker)? The same way that a person who has never lacked anything at all will never have to trust God to be a provider.
3. Trials and tribulations help grow your faith:
James 1:1-2 speaks of how trails help us develop the virtue of perseverance. Verse 3 further mentions trials and tests contribute to our maturity in faith.
God lets us go through trials because he wants us to be spiritually mature, complete, and lacking nothing.
4. God has come through for you before, he will do so again.
Whenever I’m passing through a challenging or rough phase of my life and it seems I’m not getting answers to my prayers, I begin to recount all the things that God has done for me in the past.
I recount how God delivered me from terrible pitfalls, how he delivered me from many afflictions that could have claimed my life; how he even showered me with unconditional love by sending his only begotten son to die for me and saved me from the scourge of sin. Doing this puts me in a mood of thanksgiving and even makes my faith stronger, so that I can trust God to come through for me again.
If you do the same, you’ll discover an undeniable trend of God’s faithfulness in your life, then you would be able to boldly face whatever trails you are passing through with the confidence that God has got you.
Psalm 103:2 admonishes us to Bless the LORD, and forget not all his benefits.
5. Our trials and sufferings are sometimes consequences of our own mistakes and sins
Sometimes, as humans, we make decisions that are unwise and reckless and such decisions begin to cause challenges and pose threats to our lives and futures. While God is very merciful, he is also a loving father who chastises us and wants us to learn a vital principle of life: that all of our actions and inactions have consequences. God can choose to prevent a person from bearing the full brunt of the consequences of his actions, other times he chooses to let us face the consequences so that we can learn and become wiser. God is the kind of father who wants us to take responsibility for our lives and live cautiously rather than live recklessly. Hebrews 12:6-11
For example, when people endanger their health by stuffing themselves with unhealthy foods or willingly indulge in substance abuse, the resulting ill health that comes afterwards is their fault and not God’s.
Rather than blame God for the consequences of our foolish actions, we must own up to our mistakes and turn to God in humility and repentance.
As Christians, we need to bear in mind that living for Christ includes sharing in both the joys and struggles of Christ.
Trials and storms will come knocking at your doors but God will be faithful to carry you through them. When you go through those trying seasons, the Joy of the Lord and his word will be available to strengthen you.
Let your trials and pains drive even closer to the cross of Christ and cause you to dig deeper into the word of God.
In John 16:33, Jesus already warns us that we would experience trouble but also assures us of victory and peace because he has “overcome the world.”!
Here are three Song recommendations for any believer going through a trying season:
Kirk Franklin – Just for me
Tasha page-Lockhart – Why not me
God is Good- Jonathan Mcreynolds
If you have ever gone through rough times or trials, please share how you got through it in the comment section, I would love to hear from you!