Trials of Life--Lessons Learned From the Fire

Everyone at some point in their lives will experience trials. You know, those icky moments where you wish that you could just crawl into a dark corner and hide until the storms of life pass over. Without those dark, dank moments of life, could we truly treasure the good stuff that God has provided for us? Would I really be the person I am, without those moments?

I have a theory that God showed me though a round of trials that my husband and I recently went through. The theory is this...You write your testimony in the hard times. It is easy to be a Christian when life is great and everything is nice and sunny, and everyone is playing fair. However, who we truly are in the depths of our soul oozes out when we go through the fire. It is in that moment that you must decide. What kind of testimony am I going to write for the story of my life?

In order to do that, you must honestly ask yourself, who do I want to be when this is all finally over? Wow, there are so many possibilities. Will I be bitter, or better? Will I be the victor or the victim? How we inwardly answer this question will decide what type of person you will become on the other side of the trial, and it will also dictate your attitude and actions through the trial.

I truly believe that Satan wants us to be bitter victims in this world. He wants us to have a martyr's complex where we share with the world just how badly we've been treated. He wants a battered and bruised Christian who is too weak to stand and be counted for in the Kingdom's work. We all know people like this, because the world is full of them...hopeless, defeated, crushed and confused by the Deceiver's lies that we will not over-come. Truth be known, I can be found in those ranks from time to time. 

Once we become the walking wounded, it is easy for Satan to cause us to seek revenge. Here is where my personal disclaimer must be said, first and foremost, I am human. When I am wronged, I want justice. I want to get even. However, I have learned that God is much better at handling this than I am (Romans 12:19-21). However, knowing this fact does not make forgiveness or even giving up my right for revenge any easier. But, I must confess things work out much better when I allow him to be in charge of all of it all; even when it doesn’t make sense in my all too worldly mind.

The other path that we can take is to totally trust God. This means trusting in Him for our healing, the renewal of our mind, and whatever else it may be that we need. The transformation does not occur overnight, it is a process; and sometimes the healing hurts because we have to deal with bitterness, painful memories and anger that have been tucked away in a calloused heart. When we allow God to move in our lives, as he needs to, we are transformed into what God truly wants us to be. We write the testimony of an over-comer, with a faithful and loving God who does what he says he will do. 

Romans 12:2 

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” NIV