We all have things in our lives that we’d just as soon have avoided. Maybe it’s self-inflicted, like the rat ages of sin in your life. Maybe it’s a trial you were not quite sure how you survived. Maybe you’re in the midst of it right now. Can I give you a bit of good news? God’s got you. You might wonder where He is. You might wonder why He is letting this happen. I can’t answer that second part for sure, but the first part is easy. He is right there with you. Yes, right now and He is making a way. We Christians all can give at the very least lip service to the goodness of our God, but the truth is, we are often far more focused on our need for the Lord in the trials than we are in the easy days and the good times. The hard times are when we learn to depend on the Lord.
There is a false belief out there that says that we can tell God is in things when they are easy. More than once I have heard people say God wasn’t in something they were doing, and when I asked how they knew God wasn’t in it, their response is usually something to the effect of, because it was really hard. Just to be clear, if God is only in the easy things in life, our faith is essentially void, because few people ever had life as hard as Jesus and He was God incarnate and lived His whole earthly life right smack in the center of God’s will. The Apostle Paul would also be negated. If you don’t believe me read 2 Corinthians 11. The truth is following Jesus is not always easy, and the more you are in God’s will, the more likely it is that you will face satanic opposition in a host of forms. Jesus never promised us an easy life as a matter of fact He said that coming after Him required a cross and we should all thank God He was speaking metaphorically. Yes there is a good chance that following Jesus will be most difficult. It’s the trials that help us learn to depend on God and those same trial usually show us how dependable and faithful our God is.
Of course, there’s more to this. Romans 8:28 reminds us, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Simply put, every trial (that word all means all) past present and future will eventually be used for good in our lives and in the world, for those of us who love the Lord. I have seen this work in my own life. My preChristian years were a mess, but when I came to Christ, God used many of those things that I faced as tools for ministry. Nothing has been wasted and some of the most painful things that have happened in my life have become the most powerful tools. Likewise my struggles as a Christian have also become quite useful, especially when I am working with people who are broken and hurting. The title of this post is a cliche to be sure, but the thing is things usually become cliches because they have been proven true over and over again. Your test really does become your testimony. The really great news in this promise is it can change your focus. You can start to look for the ways that God can use whatever you’re going through for your good and for the good of those around you.
Now, I do feel like I need to give a caveat here. This passage only applies to those who love the Lord and no you should not do a bunch of stupid things so that you can have a stronger testimony. Rather those of us who know and love God, who’ve been saved nay His grace, can trust in His promises. So here’s what I recommend. Sit down with a notebook and a pen (or however you store information and just start writing out your story, everything, the good the bad and the ugly, and then read back over it and begin to add the times when you really saw Him come through. That story is your testimony. The story of how God has worked in your life. Once you know it, share it.
God is faithful, nothing is wasted, press on. One day all this will make sense and it may even change someone’s life. God is at work in your trial. Look for the good!
AMOKArts 