By: Don Hill
God did not promise us that every day would bring happiness and success to our lives. In fact, Christ warned His disciples that following Him would bring struggles and trails in every aspect of life.
Jesus told His followers that through these trials that they would "grow spiritually".
James 1: 2 - 3 relates that we should "consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds, because...the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
But, though we recognize the truth of James' statement, most of us still want to ask, "Why me?" when we are facing very difficult situations.
Though none of us enjoys coping with difficulties in our lives, we must realize that sometimes we bring unnecessary struggles into our own lives because of sins we have committed or bad choices we have made. When we repent of those sins, God uses the struggles we face for our good...teaching us to obey His will.
At other times, God allows trials to enter our lives as a form of correction, even when we do not realize we need it.
Often God uses our struggles to remind us that "apart from Me [God] you can do nothing." (John 15: 5). This reminder is part of daily dying to our personal desires, and living for God's perfect purpose.
God also uses struggles to produce a patient, enduring faith that is not moved by external circumstances. This is the type of faith exemplified by Abraham and Moses and many other biblical heroes of faith (Hebrews 11).
Finally, God will often use our personal struggles to teach us to be more merciful and compassionate toward others. Many times we are able to help others triumph over the struggles they are facing because we ourselves have already dealt with the same situations.
It is not wrong to wonder why "bad" things happen to us or to others who are living in Christian lives. But we must always remember that God is refining us so that we can have faith as pure as gold. He is causing our faith to flourish so that our actions, in times of crisis, may be glorifying Him ( 1 Peter 1: 7 ).
Read:
Hebrews 11: 1 - 40; 12: 1 - 6
Ask yourselves these questions:
1. What is the main lesson we must learn from the great heroes of faith in Hebrews 11? Hebrews 12: 1
2. As God is perfecting us through our struggles against sin and selfwill, who are we to keep our eyes upon?
3. How can we learn from Christ's own example? Hebrews 12: 3 - 4
God did not promise us that every day would bring happiness and success to our lives. In fact, Christ warned His disciples that following Him would bring struggles and trails in every aspect of life.
Jesus told His followers that through these trials that they would "grow spiritually".
James 1: 2 - 3 relates that we should "consider it pure joy...whenever you face trials of many kinds, because...the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
But, though we recognize the truth of James' statement, most of us still want to ask, "Why me?" when we are facing very difficult situations.
Though none of us enjoys coping with difficulties in our lives, we must realize that sometimes we bring unnecessary struggles into our own lives because of sins we have committed or bad choices we have made. When we repent of those sins, God uses the struggles we face for our good...teaching us to obey His will.
At other times, God allows trials to enter our lives as a form of correction, even when we do not realize we need it.
Often God uses our struggles to remind us that "apart from Me [God] you can do nothing." (John 15: 5). This reminder is part of daily dying to our personal desires, and living for God's perfect purpose.
God also uses struggles to produce a patient, enduring faith that is not moved by external circumstances. This is the type of faith exemplified by Abraham and Moses and many other biblical heroes of faith (Hebrews 11).
Finally, God will often use our personal struggles to teach us to be more merciful and compassionate toward others. Many times we are able to help others triumph over the struggles they are facing because we ourselves have already dealt with the same situations.
It is not wrong to wonder why "bad" things happen to us or to others who are living in Christian lives. But we must always remember that God is refining us so that we can have faith as pure as gold. He is causing our faith to flourish so that our actions, in times of crisis, may be glorifying Him ( 1 Peter 1: 7 ).
Read:
Hebrews 11: 1 - 40; 12: 1 - 6
Ask yourselves these questions:
1. What is the main lesson we must learn from the great heroes of faith in Hebrews 11? Hebrews 12: 1
2. As God is perfecting us through our struggles against sin and selfwill, who are we to keep our eyes upon?
3. How can we learn from Christ's own example? Hebrews 12: 3 - 4
