Trials Come In Different Varieties and Flavors

Trouble comes to all of us. And just like ice cream, it comes in many different flavors.

• Sickness or death of a loved one.
• Worries about child raising.
• Financial hardship.
• Loosing a job.
• An unfaithful spouse.
• Broken relationships.
• Problems due to the selfishness of others.
• Emotional Instability.
• Depression and discouragement.

We can’t control our trouble, but we can control how we respond to the trouble. And we can’t always control our circumstances, but we can control how we react.

It’s helpful to remember that before anything happens to us, it is allowed by God. It has gone through His hand. So, before we blame others too quickly, remember that our Father thought that this would be GOOD for us somehow.

It’s not them. It’s Him.

He is allowing this problem. He is testing your faith. Do you trust Him to do what is best for you? He is too good to not do what is best for you.

James 1: 2,3  Calls your trial a trial of your faith.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

Some thoughts about this verse.

We see our trials as anything but joy. But we should count them as joy, because God is using them to perfect us, to make us more Christ- like.

When we face trials, we will be tempted to react sinfully. We may feel like lashing out, hurting the person who hurt us, protecting our reputation by smearing theirs, or shutting our heart down to the person who hurt us.

This temptation to sinfully react is exactly what God is trying to remove from us. He’ll allow this hurt or that situation because He wants us to be holy.

So, we can’t blame others, or Satan or even God when we react sinfully to trials.

James 1 tells us that sinful temptation comes from within. From our own cravings. We sin and go to war with others because of our wrong desires.

  Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.  But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.  Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

These verses tell us that:

• God is too Holy to be tempted with evil.
• God is too good to tempt anyone else with evil.
• That we are tempted with evil by our own desires.

The progression goes like this:

Desires/Cravings—-sin—-death.

Next time you are in the middle of a trial, look for what God is doing. As tempting as it might be, do not pollute the problem by a sinful response. Submit yourself to God’s plan and allow God to increase your faith. He will give grace to the humble. Then He will give you His joy as you trust and obey.

In trials, your inner peace is dependent on your submissiveness to the will of God. Realize it is Him, not them. Then humble yourself. Trust Him. He it too good to do you evil and is working this horrible, terrible trial all out for your  good.

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