Your Trials Have Purpose

In the Christian life, there will be trials. God promised it. We see this truth throughout the Bible. But, the difficulties are not without purpose. God allows them to prove the authenticity of our faith. What we really believe surfaces when the heat rises. Reality bubbles up to the top, and we are allowed to see what really is the state of our hearts.

As believers, we are continually faced with challenges. It can be frustrating at times, and part of that frustration comes when we believe that the Christian walk is meant to be an easy walk. That can be farthest from the truth.

The Christian Walk Is No Easy Walk

The Christian walk is one of peace because of the One we walk with. Spoiler alert, the victory has been won. However, we still live in a sinful world, and we are still affected mentally, emotionally, and physically by sin. Jesus promised trials. He said that we would have them in this world, but that we are to take heart because He has conquered the world.

"I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world." John 16:33

This is the type of backward living that the Christian life often asks of us. We are called to have trials and to be encouraged. How can that be so? We read in Scripture one motivation, and that is because trials actually have a purpose. Thank God, right? What we are facing is not in vain.

Trials Have Purpose

All of the heartache, pain, loss, and weeping have a purpose. This is not to say that the Lord loves leaving His children to suffer. He only does what is in our best interest. He is God, and sometimes what is in our best interest feels like our death. Yet, will we trust Him?

When He says our testing has a purpose, will we believe Him and humbly submit ourselves in the middle of the storm? This is an act of faith. Let us have biblical confidence in Christ. When we realize our faith is lacking, may we pray as the man prayed in scripture.

"Immediately the father of the boy cried out, 'I do believe; help my unbelief!'" Mark 9:24

Trials Prove Faith

Trials prove our faith. We can say all day long that we are faithful people. We can write it on our Instagram Stories and post it in our captions. We can write long Facebook posts and tweet about it. We can converse with friends and brothers and sisters in Christ.

But, it is not until the heat rises, and the water rushes and rolls, it is not until we are pushed to the end of our strength that we uncover the truth about our faith. Friend, we know more about the quality of our faith by how we respond in trials. If it's real, we see its authenticity when placed in the furnace. The faith will endure. Trials prove our faith.

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith— more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire— may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:7

Because we know this, we can stand the test of faith. When we have the knowledge that the storms and the fire have a job, and that it is to reveal our faith authentic and real, then we have a motivation to persevere. We have the motivation to let the fire of the furnace bubble up all of the impurities in us so that our faith can be pure gold.

When we are faced with challenges and difficulties, not only is our faith proven genuine, but the Lord is using it to show us what is not like Him. This is our opportunity to surrender to our good and faithful Father. He is working to mature us in the faith. We can rejoice as our faith is being made steady. James tells us to rejoice when faced with various trials because we know that our faith-testing will produce maturity.

"Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance." James 1:2-3

Friend, trials have a purpose. Trials are good for us. They are an opportunity for us to learn and to grow closer to God. I personally know a little something about trials.

I Speak From Experience

I have been healing from Chronic PTSD since 2016. Yeah, that is a whole four years of counseling, medication, being so sick that I can barely get out of bed at times, seizures, and no driving. There have been moments where I have wanted to see heaven really soon! In the darkest moments, the Lord always brings me back to purpose.

He brings me back to the passages that help me see what He is doing is for a reason, and it's for good. That is how I have been able to persevere. It is because I know that the trials are producing good things in me, releasing wretched stuff from me, and it's proving the genuineness of my faith.

It is proving it not only to me but to those around me. It is glorifying to God when an unbeliever sees a believer who is tested repeatedly yet does not lose faith in Him? What a testimony of God's goodness to someone who doesn't even believe in God's existence.

This is otherworldly for sure! The world can't comprehend how someone faces various trials and many challenges could still have faith. This is possible only because we know our heavenly Father. We know His mercy, and His grace, and His faithfulness.

God Is Good Even In This

We know He is good, He is loving, and He is kind. We trust His Word, and we trust Christ. We trust the finished work on the cross and all that it accomplished for us.

There is hope for you. There are new mercies every single day that will help you to believe again. The morning sun comes after the darkness. The night may seem really long, but the morning sun will come!

"Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning." Psalm 30:5

Be encouraged, sister in Christ. Even though this Christian walk has winding roads, valleys, and mountains, God walks with you and will give you the strength to keep walking. The Bible says everything He does has a purpose, including your present trials.

Keep trusting, keep looking to Christ, keep reading scripture, keep worshiping, keep leaning and clinging, and believe His Word to be true.

Praise God From Whom All Blessing Flow