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by Dr. Charles Stanley
One of life’s most commonly asked questions is, "Why does God allow His children to go through difficult, trying, painful times in life?" We recognize that God is all-powerful and could prevent these trials if He chose to do so. Yet, He often does not. Therefore, there must be some purpose for them, some divine reason for not sparing us these hardships. Once we begin to understand God’s purpose for these things, we will be able to stand strong through any storm of life.
James 1:1-12 issues a serious challenge to every believer. The first thing we should notice is James’s assurance in verse 2 that all Christians will in fact face trials of many kinds. The author leaves no room for doubt; he alludes to "when you encounter various trials," which indicates the inevitability of such ordeals. Therefore, we should not ask how we can avoid trials–because we cannot–but rather we should ask God to show us how to deal with them when they appear.
The second thing we should notice in verse 2 is the seemingly ridiculous instruction to "count it all joy" whenever hardships assault our lives. This is a preposterous statement; trials and joy simply do not go together. Tears, discouragement, disillusionment, despair . . . these are the things that we associate with trials. But joy? James must have known that this would be a contradiction to our natural human reasoning; so, there must be an answer beyond what we perceive.
In James 1:5, in the midst of a discussion on trials, the author seems to change the subject mid-stream. He has just explained how trials produce spiritual endurance and maturity, and then he says, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God . . . and it will be given to him."
Rather than switching topics, James is actually making a consistent argument regarding trials. In order for us to be able to "count it all joy" in the face of trials, we must view the matter from God’s perspective. This is what wisdom does. Beyond simply understanding God’s reasoning, we also must actively apply that wisdom. When we do this, we become more able to evaluate people and circumstances and are thus better prepared to make sound decisions.
A primary function of wisdom is to help us discern the source of our trials. Discovering the source is very helpful in understanding God’s purpose in each hardship. Sometimes, our trials come from making wrong decisions ourselves. These occasions are tough realizations because these are times when we cannot blame the problem on anyone else.
A second source of trials is the persecution of others. As we strive to live in a godly manner, Satan will begin looking for new ways to attack us. One effective assault is through other people sent to hurt, mock, or distract us.
Another uncontrollable source is the simple fact that we live in a fallen world. There are earthquakes, floods, disease, suffering, war, and hardship in the world today that cannot be prevented.
A troublesome issue for many people is that, regardless of their specific source, God allows each and every trial that we encounter. Beyond that, He sometimes sends the trials Himself. This is why James instructs believers to ask God for wisdom in the midst of their hardship. Wisdom enables us to clearly see the source of the trial, and when we know the source, we are better prepared to evaluate, handle, and grow through the specific issue.
Once we understand the source, we need wisdom to enable us to discern the purpose for the trials. In this, wisdom helps us to question the heart of God by asking, "Lord, why have you allowed this? What would you have me learn through this?"
Some people are not comfortable with the idea of asking God "why?" I assure you, though, that you will not disturb God at all by asking Him any question you wish. The fact is we need to ask Him why certain trials happen, because we want to extract as much good from our suffering as possible.
First, God allows our trials in order to test our faith. This is made perfectly clear in James 1:3, "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." The word "testing" here means to be tested and found proven; that is, God is testing our faith in order to prove its strength.
Unproven, untried faith is practically worthless. How do you know what you can face in life if your faith has not been tested? 1 Peter 1:6-7 explains this valuable aspect, "In this you greatly rejoice . . . you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith . . . may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
The testing of our faith produces spiritual maturity, which leads to endurance. This enables us to withstand any assault, no matter what form the trials take. Being tested by God strengthens us so that we can face trial after trial and still endure.
Second, God allows our trials in order to test our devotion to Jesus Christ. True devotion demands that we follow Jesus faithfully, regardless of our circumstances. Will you obey Him when you do not understand why bad things are happening? Will you obey Him when things are not going your way? These things are discovered during periods of trial and testing.
Third, God allows trials in order to purify our lives. Trials have a way of putting pressure on us in the most secret parts of our being, bringing hidden sins, bad habits, and areas of neglect to the surface. These things must be dealt with in order to become the mature Christians God wants us to be.
Fourth, our trials give God an opportunity to demonstrate His sustaining power for His children in tough times. This is an amazing testimony to unbelievers, who may witness you going through a horribly difficult situation while still maintaining the peace of the Holy Spirit.
Fifth, a major purpose for our trials is to produce Christ-like character within us. Our trials reveal to us that we cannot live the Christian life apart from Him. This means that the Christian life is not made up of different "good things" that we do, but is actually Jesus Christ living in and through each one of us. This requires our total surrender to His will, so that our reactions to stress, trial, and suffering are actually His reactions lived out through our lives.
Finally, trials equip us for service in the kingdom of God for the sake of others. Second Corinthians 1:4 makes this point clear, "[God] comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." Therefore, God is using our trials to make us more useful in helping others.
By fully understanding and identifying with someone else’s pain, we will be able to reach out to them in a way in which someone else may be unprepared for. The key to this type of service is simply knowing first hand what the other person is going through. If we have been through it ourselves, we will have an intimate understanding of what the hurting individual needs.
As we have seen, wisdom’s true value comes in its application. With that in mind, take a moment to review ten ways that a right understanding of God’s purposes for trials might lead us to the right response.
- We must be persuaded that God is in control of the timing and intensity of our trials.
- We must realize that God has a specific purpose for each trial in life.
- We must understand that each trial is designed to meet a specific need that God sees in our lives.
- We must accept that each trial is going to result in our own good if we respond in faith.
- We must discover how each trial can strengthen our faith by proving that we can depend on the Lord for all of our needs.
- We must rejoice in that each trial is an opportunity for God to demonstrate His power to sustain us under tremendous pressure.
- We must submit ourselves to the development of Christ-like character that results from our trials.
- We must take advantage of our trials’ usefulness in measuring our spiritual growth. For example, we may realize that we are capable of handling a powerful hardship that would have crippled us only a year or two ago. This is because our continuing trials have taught us that God will indeed empower us to prevail.
- We must be convinced that God will walk us through every step of the trial(Hebrews 13:5).
- We must have faith that by His grace and the enabling power of the Holy Spirit, we will not only survive, but we will also conquer over each trial.
If you are a child of God, you have the means by which to stand firm in the face of any trial. Trust that God has a reason for your sufferings, and submit yourself to whatever He desires to teach you. The road may be rocky, but a wise response will lead you into the joy He has promised.
Copyright © IN TOUCH MINISTRIES. IN TOUCH Magazine. Used with permission. In Touch Ministries, P.O. Box 7900, Atlanta, GA 30357. All rights reserved. www.intouch.org
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