Anyone who has walked with Jesus for any length of time has surely come to the realization that the Christian walk is not free of trials, tribulations, or persecutions. Whether we choose to accept it or not, none of our discomforts or outright heartaches come into our lives without Gods sovereign knowledge. It is during those intense times of testing that our faith runs the risk of being shaken. Our doubts and unanswered questions consume us and the grace and mercy that Jesus has bestowed upon us could lose its sweet aroma. For every Christian, it is during these times that we must resolve in our hearts this question. “Will my trials make me bitter or will they make me better?”
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives it all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let, not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James1:2-8)
I am aware that these verses can be a foreign concept for many, and for most a scenario that most would not welcome into their lives. But we must keep this in mind. Not all trials that come against you are an attack from the Devil, but neither are they sent to us by God because of His fury or anger with us. We are instructed in verse 2 to count it all joy when we fall into a trial. We are encouraged not to allow ourselves to sink into a state of despair or despondency becoming overwhelmed by our circumstances. We are not to look at our trials as a form of punishment but look for the instructing hand of God during our trial. We can only have joy in our tribulations if we understand that it is many times through our tribulations that our faith is tested, resulting in growth. Being conformed to the image of Christ was never to be any easy, trial free process. If our faith grows the result is always patience; (Rom 5:3) says there must be patience in your life to be a mature Christian.
Verse 4 tells us that we play a direct role in this process. But let patience have its perfect work implies that our reaction to our trial could play a direct part in the LENGTH AND INTENSITY of the trial that you may find yourself in. We must do nothing short of faith to shorten its duration or weaken its God-intended purpose leaving ourselves incomplete and lacking. One warning given for trying to shortcut this process is found starting in verse 5. It implies that it could lead to being unstable in all your ways. Producing a double-mindedness rocking back and forth between faith one minute and a lack of faith the next. Even if afflictions come one after another like a train bearing down upon us, still we must let the process reach perfection (maturity) in all of us.
This is not just a New Testament paradox, for we find this principle of faith modeled in the Old Testament. Job 1:20-22 says “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell to the ground and worshipped. And he said: Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord.” In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong. Under the pressure of his afflictions, Jobs response to God was that of a wise, holy, and mature complete man. He was a man who feared God more than the temptation to lose faith or trust in God. He resisted the opportunity to lash out at God or let a root of bitterness and self-pity develop in his heart. He saw himself as naked, but not maimed or crippled. He gave praise to God in his trial, even though he did not understand it. He had no idea that God and Satan had reached an agreement concerning his life. God had placed him in the test tube as an example of his faithfulness and Godly character. But still, he remained thankful to God for his former blessings and for the life he had been given. Despite his afflictions!!
How then will we stand justified before God in our discontent and self-pity, complaining and murmuring “Why me Lord??”; when we have been instructed that various trials will come. I would say most Christians want to be complete and mature in Christ, but often bypass the steps (trials and afflictions) necessary to be perfected. They are part of the “bless me” Church, but never attend the “test me” Church. Psalms 26:2, Psalms 139:23 and 2 Cor 13:5. This soft theology produces deformed and mutated Christians. On the outside, they continue in their Church routines, while inwardly they become easily disillusioned with God. When God “doesn’t supply all their needs” or “doesn’t heal all their diseases” or “doesn’t cause them to prosper” a wall goes up. They outwardly hide their disappointments, but secretly a root of bitterness, anger, and resentment have begun to grow in their spirit.
Because of the failure to present themselves to God, to bear up to the test; soon everything they touch runs the risk of being hypocritical in word or deed. “But the hypocrites in heart store up wrath; they do not cry for help when He binds them. They die in youth, and their life ends among the perverted persons.” (Job 36;13-14) The literal interpretation of these verses reads, “But the hypocrites in heart stir up arrogance and pride; they do not ask for help in their troubles, nor do they bow when He fastens them to the battle to prepare are make them ready.” This says to me that Christians who resist the trials and tribulations that God allows in order to perfect and mature them, or rarely found ready for Gods service. Verse 14 says They will die spiritually immature and short of the plans that God had for them. They will eventually lose their peace, their joy, and their contentment in the Lord. They will begin to blame others or their circumstances and their state of mind while condoning and justifying their dead spiritual condition.
“Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord; looking diligently lest anyone fall short of the grace of God. Lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” Heb 12:14-15) verse 15 says a root of bitterness can cause many to become defiled. Miano the Greek word, means “to be stained with demonic processes.” Bitterness toward others, anger toward your circumstances (self-pity), or lack of faith (disappointment) in God open the door to Satanic powers who then begin to set up a stronghold in your life. The Devil then has the access to come and go as He pleases cultivating discontent as He wills. Claiming a closeness to God, while simultaneously living with bitterness or strife in your heart will eventually leave you lifeless and ineffective in the hands of God. God allows trials to make us and mold into His image, but the process allows us to see the condition of our heart. On the other hand, the Devil seeks out these times of testing to “break us” emotionally, physically and spiritually. But as the scripture says in Eph 6:13 “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, stand.”
(2 Cor 1;2-7) “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so also our consolation abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation.” This passage is yet another example of how to approach the trials and discomforts of life along our Christian walk. It is also the key to being victorious over them on a consistent basis!! Paul had complete trust in God not just with his mouth but in his actions, keeping proper perspective and focus on the end goal. His primary focus was not only to be Christ-like but to let his life be a model to others. “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.”
What a challenging proclamation that Paul is making, he has counted the cost and yet says “this is what I want above all else!!” It has been my experience in life, and that of others that I know, that God only brings His people into tribulations in order to expose, change or deal with deficiencies so that they may obtain Gods all sufficiency!! Until we see the true state of our heart, and humbly present that heart back to God, we will never change. When the trial comes, our response is very telling. Paul’s response did not focus on the discomforts, for he realized to fully obtain Christ, his life would have to be poured out as a living sacrifice so that other believers could see the glory of God. Many times, in the scriptures he describes his sufferings for Christ in great detail; and at other times they are barely mentioned as just commonplace, as being just an everyday occurrence in one’s Christian walk.
The modern “bless me” Christian theology seems to be in direct contrast to the examples that Paul has described in the verses that we looked at in this teaching and others that we find in the New Testament. Instead of the “bless me” Lord, should it not be more the “test me” Lord. (Psalms 139:23) Search me O God, and know my heart; Try me, test me, and know my anxieties.”
Trials will produce in you basically two results: And the choice is up to you!!
growth, stability, consistency, and maturity: all resulting in more faith
staleness, instability, immaturity, and self-centeredness: which easily become the breeding ground of bitterness, resentment, and jealousy.
Do you really think God tests us so that He knows OUR heart?? Or is the purpose of the test or trial that He places us is designed to show us OUR heart??
Will you be like Job who withstood the test only to have all that He lost and more restored to him for his faithfulness? Will you be like Paul who counted all his afflictions as just the cost of being conformed to a Christ-like image? OR will you be like the hypocrites in Job who died in their youth, short of obtaining Gods all?? We each must make the choice!!
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