The reality of life, whether you are a Christian or not, is that trials will come. This is simply part of the human experience. No one goes through life unscathed.
Nevertheless, for those of us who are believers, there is great consolation in this. We learn in the book of James that there is a purpose for our suffering. The trials and tribulations we face are like kettlebells and pull-up bars. They strengthen us and help our faith to grow. They serve to mold and shape us into the image of Christ. They help to sanctify us and make us holy. Trust me – we do not want a life without trials.
Once I heard a pastor speak about his experience with persecuted Christians in another part of the world. He said that, as they shared their experiences of imprisonment and the threat of death, many of them spoke of how close they were to God during those times, and how, in some ways, they even longed to be back in those circumstances because of the intimacy they shared with the Lord and each other while there. As strange as it sounds, this makes sense to me.
During those seasons when life is especially calm, I must admit that a part of me misses the days when I found myself, literally, on my knees throughout the day, because that was the only way I could make it. I miss that desperation for God and the joy and intimacy birthed from it.
What I am slowly but surely coming to realize is that striving to live an easy/trouble-free life is not the right goal. I’m not saying we should invite trials, or even seek them out. There is no need for that. But I don’t think we should necessarily make it our objective to create a lifestyle that avoids hard things either. This is challenging for me to write, possibly because I need to hear it much more than you.
Here’s what James has to say about it, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Amen.
