Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– George Herbert
Devotional: The Harder the Trial, the Sweeter the Victory
Storms in our lives can look like these insurmountable challenges that are just intended to make life miserable through pain, disappointment, and frustration. But the reality is that if we choose to see the world with God’s eyes of faith we would be able to see that the storms that happen in our lives can actually strengthen our faith and our relationship with Jesus. The storms can help us become stronger. Instead of knocking us down, challenges can truly strengthen us. Instead of making us lose hope it actually nourishes us and that’s how we can choose to view our faith. That’s how we can choose to live our life. Indeed, the harder the trial, the sweeter the victory. How can this be?
Challenges Push You to Trust God More
If you’re at the end of your rope, you really only have two choices: you can either tie a knot or you can let go. The same with challenges: you can let the challenges overcome you or you can choose to trust God more. You can chose to trust in God’s promises in the Bible that he wants the very best for you and he wants to prosper you and he is willing to give you all his graces according to his will. The Bible contains hundreds of amazing promises and it takes faith to tap into that. It takes trust to make those promises come alive. Ultimately it is your choice whether to trust that God is stronger and bigger than your challenges.
Trials Give You the Opportunity to Reform Your Character after Christ
Sure you’re got a knock-down. Sure you’re going through pain. Sure you have a dreadful disease. But are you going to let these define you and own you? Or are you going to let these become opportunities? You have the choice. You can choose to let your trials be opportunities that allow you to reform your character after Christ. If you look at your trials this way, then everything is a victory. Everything becomes a blessing if you look at challenges as opportunities to reform your character to develop like Christ’s character.
Difficulties Push You Out of Empty Comfort Zones
The reason why we fear being challenged is because we dislike being pushed out of our comfort zones. But in many cases our comfort zones have actually become prisons. You can only stay in a comfort zone for too long until the walls start closing in on you. That’s the reality of comfort zones. If you live a life in faith, you would realize that these difficulties you consider so unpleasant and so burdensome might actually be blessings that help push you out of your comfort zone. They help push you out of the mindsets and the assumptions that actually enable more challenges to enter your life. By looking at your difficulties as gateways to personal growth, you enable yourself to achieve more victories later on.
Stepping Out in Faith More Often Grows Your Faith
Faith is like a muscle. It only grows if you challenge it and just like a muscle, it will grow. And just like muscle growth, it takes pain for faith to grow. So step out in faith more often. Take more chances. Know that God has your back.
Conclusion
By looking at your trials as opportunities to know God more fully the sting of defeat and the disappointment go away. Instead you’re left with the sweet nectar of a real relationship with Christ.
