Going Through Hard TimesSample

How God Uses Trials

As we go through these challenging seasons in our lives, we either grow through them or we don’t. And there is no judgment if you find yourself still upset with God when hard times come your way. We’ve all been there. But, as we seek Him, we’ll find Him. One way we can tell that our faith is maturing through trials is when our “why” questions become “how” questions. 

How are You going to use this in my life?
How will You impact others because of this trial?
How will You bring about good through this devastation?

There’s a popular phrase circling in Christian circles, and it’s that God wastes nothing. And that is absolutely our hope-filled truth. Whether we were thrown into unwanted, challenging circumstances or our choices led us there, God will use every single bit of it to redeem our lives, impact others, and receive glory. Let’s discuss what God does with our pain.

He Changes Us
When we suffer through fiery ordeals that hurt us deeply, most of us just want to “get over it.” But in order for us to truly be over it, we must go through it. We must push through the pain, addressing whatever is breaking our hearts in order to see healing on the other side. As we go through the storms in our lives, we will be stronger for it. 

He Changes Others
Many of us have endured challenges in our lives that give us experience no formal education can. We may not have a degree from college but we are experts in our field of pain. God sees this and considers us His vessels to help others. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:3 that He “comforts us so we can comfort others.” He doesn’t allow us to encounter the darkest of adversities just to say we did it. No, His desire is that we take the comfort He gave us and share that with others. 

Romans 8:28 says that “in all things” God is working for the good. Not in some things or a few things but in all things. God took the worst thing that could ever happen—Jesus dying on the cross—and used it for the greater good—the salvation of all mankind. The greater the pain, the greater opportunity there is for God’s redemption to be displayed beautifully. With each redemptive story, God receives glory for how He has turned the tragedies in our lives into triumphs. 

On our final day of this Plan, we’ll discuss why our challenging seasons last longer than we’d like. And in the waiting, we’ll learn how to trust God more and grow in our faith.

Reflect

• What is the most difficult trial you’ve gone through? How can you use your pain to impact someone else?