Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– Warren Wiersbe
Strengthen Our Faith
James wrote that “the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:3), so “let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4). Can you trust a faith that’s never been tested? God may test our faith, not to find out how strong it is (He already knows) but so we’ll know how strong (or weak) ours is.
Showcase Our Faith
Jesus told His disciples they were to be salt and light, which means we bring light into darkness to bring others into the light. We also live lives that showcase the God Who changed us and give Him the glory for any good we do. If our lives look like Christ’s, then others might be drawn to Christ. If we don’t resemble the Savior, we can hardly blame others for not seeing Christ in us.
Fix Our Eyes Upon Jesus
When I start to sink into the stormy seas like Peter did, it could be because I took my eyes off Jesus and fixed my eyes on the storm. Maybe God wants us to do what Peter did, which is to cry out and reach for Jesus and say, “Save me Lord.” Whatever storm you’re in right now, remember that God never wastes our suffering (Rom. 8:28). It all has a purpose (James 1:3). When it starts getting deep, fix your eyes upon Jesus.
Seek Him
It seems that our prayer life gets a lot better when problems start piling up. However, maybe God is trying to show us that we need to keep in touch with Him more often. I know that when one of my family members is going through a trial, we talk a lot more than usual. The same thing goes for my friends. What’s important to them becomes important to me. Seek God early, noon, and night. Pour your heart out to Him; He can take it. Just seek Him.
Conclusion
Since God is sovereign, we can look at trials in a constructive way and not like, “God is punishing me!” Instead, look at trials as showing us how weak or strong our faith is and actually strengthening our faith. They showcase our lives before others, even when we ourselves are going through trials. They force us to fix our eyes on Christ and have a Christ-centric life in trying to walk with Him, which should cause us to seek God in prayer before another trial comes. Who knows? It may help you avoid one.
