How Do You React To Trials?

Every person at some point in their life will grapple with what they believe regarding religion. And every person has to face what they believe when it comes to the problem of evil.

My friend Nate Claiborne (check out his amazing blog here) says, “everyone has to deal with the reality of evil and ultimately that is a matter of faith.”

Ever since Adam and Eve sinned, mankind has always dealt with trails and death. Hebrews 9:27 “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” So unless your name is Enoch, or Elijah then each one of us will eventually die, it just depends on timing.

Trials could be; a death of someone close to you, financial difficulties, relationship problems or just take your pick of any trials that plague us all.

Someone once told me:

Each trial is different, and none are easy. Some trails will try us to every ounce of our being. Some are for a season and some will pass quickly.

As students, and adults grapple with their faith, many a trial has shaken people to their core and many have even left their faith.

How do we react during a trial?

James 1:2-4 “Count it all joy, my brothers when you meet trial of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness [patience] have its full affect, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.”

According to James there is a few notes:

– We should decide to have joy when we are going through a trial
– Trials test our faith
– The testing produces patience
– This testing and patience makes us more complete in our faith

I am one of the football chaplains for our local high school football team. This season I have been going through the major themes of Joseph and his trials. There is so much to learn from his life.

Here is a short recap for those of you who are not familiar with his story found in Genesis.

– Joseph had a dream as a teenager that he would be ruling over his brothers
– Brothers hate him so they throw him into a pit and then sell him into slavery
– He soon wins approval of his owner and becomes in charge of his owners household
– Owners’ wife tries to seduce him and when he refused she made up a story slamming him
– He then gets thrown into prison
– While in prison the head of the guard puts him in charge of all other prisoners
– He correctly interprets 2 people’s dream, one of them is the cupbearer to the pharaoh (they are highly trusted and taste food and drinks before the pharaoh to make sure they are not being poisoned)
– The cupbearer forgets Joseph for 2 years
– Pharaoh has a dream
– Cupbearer remembers Joseph
– Joseph interprets dream and gets promoted to second in all of Egypt
– He is reunited with his family

Towards the end of his life, after his father dies, Joseph’s brothers approach him in fear of their lives. Joseph had every right to punish them but he responds that even though evil was done to him, that God had a bigger plan and used this evil for good.

God used Joseph to save thousands, if not millions of lives. All because of something evil that happened to him.

His reaction when facing trials was to take joy, knowing that God had a bigger plan.

What is your response when facing trials? What will a trial do to your faith?

What is a trial that you have gone through lately? How did God work through it?

Can’t wait to hear your God story! You can read part of mine here.