The Results of Trials
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”. I Peter 1:7
Most of us don’t consider having to go through a trial as a precious thing, something to hold dear, something valuable. Many folks look at trials as a form of punishment for some past sin, or they think God or some unknown force if they don’t believe in God, is “picking” on them. (Speaking of picking on someone, I thought of that old song “Charlie Brown” by The Coasters from 1959: “why’s everybody always picking on me?”) Some folks who think that they are being singled out for punishment attribute it to “karma”, fate, or bad luck. Personally, I don’t believe in luck. I believe that God controls the universe and allows things to happen for a reason. Folks carry around “good luck charms” like a rabbit’s foot or any other object that they deem as “lucky”, but these objects have no power to help or hinder a person in any way. An athlete might wear the same socks or other article of clothing every time he plays his sport because he thinks it will help him be victorious in the game. I suppose these “good luck charms” could be considered idols because anything that we attribute power to besides the Lord is an idol.
Many times, a trial is just the consequence of a poorly made decision. No matter how one views the origin or reason for a trial, difficult situations can be valuable tools to help us grow in grace and knowledge of our Creator. For the believer, a trial can drive him or her to his or her knees in dependence upon the Lord who gives him or her the strength and courage to endure. Life can cause us to let busyness dominate all our time, and we put the Lord on the back burner until the flame gets turned up too high forcing us to reevaluate our commitment and thus adjust our priorities.
For the unbeliever, a trial can open his or he eyes to the truth that he or she is not right with God, and therefore the need to repent and fall on God’s mercy becomes evident. I think God allows trials for this purpose because that is the only way to get through to some folks. However, sometimes it makes them move further away from the Lord rather than drawing near to Him. God gets a lot of blame for things that happen to folks, but when something good happens, He rarely gets the credit or an expression of thanksgiving.
Believers and unbelievers alike face trials. It seems, though, that believers tend to face more trials and troubles than unbelievers. I have found through my own life and through the observation of others that I know that trials can strengthen our faith. Both Paul and James addressed the subject of trials and suffering. In Romans 5:3-4, Paul wrote that tribulations were a cause in which to glory because tribulations lead to patience which leads to experience which leads to hope. If there was anyone who suffered for the cause of Christ and the gospel, it was Paul, but these sufferings led him to become probably the greatest evangelist of the gospel the world has ever known. (A warning: if one desires to pray for more patience, be prepared for all sorts of things that will test one’s patience.) James wrote in James 1:3 to count it joyful when one experiences trials for, just as Paul said, they help develop patience. Patience develops character and maturity in faith. Peter, one, who in the early days, acted before he thought, was certainly one who learned patience through trials.
Accepting a trial for its beneficial worth doesn’t mean we have to like what is happening or what we are going through, but it does mean we should let it do the maturing work in our lives that only hardship and suffering can produce. As the personal trainers say, “No pain, no gain.”