Trials – nobody wants them but for the Christian they are a necessary part of helping us to become more conformed to the image of Christ. And while the trials we often go through are usually not pleasant, just having the knowledge that they are helping us become more Christlike should bring a deep sense of joy to our souls. So, rather than look at the trials and tribulations we go through in the negative, I choose to thank God for them because I know they will make me a better Christian and help me bring more glory to the Father.
I absolutely concur with the wisdom, that perhaps the greatest scientist of all time, Isaac Newton, shared when he said: “Trials are medicines which our gracious and wise Physician prescribes because we need them; and he proportions the frequency and weight of them to what the case requires. Let us trust his skill and thank him for his prescription.”1 God knows what we can bear, and it is so true that we need to trust Him to use these trials for, not only our ultimate good, but for His glory.
Another purpose of trials is summed up beautifully by J. C. Ryle. According to Ryle: “Trials are intended to make us think, to wean us from the world, to send us to the Bible, to drive us to our knees.”2 I have found in my own Christian walk when things are going well and I am experiencing much comfort that my focus on the Lord can get somewhat out of focus. And I praise the Lord that when this happens Jesus will often send a trial my way to get me to really spend more time in the Bible and more time on my knees in prayer.
And when we realize just how much God loves us and wants to use us for great kingdom purposes, I believe, we will start to view trials in a totally different way. The late New York City pastor, Timothy Keller, summed up trials and tribulations well when he shared: “No one is exempt from trials and tribulations. In fact, this is often what happens to people God loves very much, for it is part of God’s often mysterious and good plan for turning us into something great.”3
So, the next time a trial comes your way, rather than view it as a problem, why not see it as God does, as an opportunity to grow in our faith, draw nearer to Jesus, and most of all as a springboard to glorify God!
1 TOP 25 QUOTES BY ISAAC NEWTON (of 194) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
2 TOP 25 TRIALS QUOTES (of 1000) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
3 TOP 25 TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS QUOTES (of 57) | A-Z Quotes (azquotes.com)
Hey Curt,
Yes….this is very good stuff. I have found that new Christians or immature Christians that experience trials often lose faith because they thought when they became a Christian that a “good God” would not let these trials persist in their lives. Experienced and mature Christians have the attitude of “one foot on earth and one foot in heaven” and they trust that God is in control and has their best interest at heart.