Going through adversity should be a thing of joy for every child of God (James 1: 2 – 4). You grow spiritually and become mature as you keep your eyes focused on Jesus. But when you complain and grumble you attract God’s judgment rather than His mercy and grace. Our Father sees all our afflictions and assures us that He will be with us all the way (Psalm 23:4), and He will also comfort us so that when we overcome we can be able to comfort those who are on that same road (2 Corinthians 1: 4 – 7) in order to come out victoriously. Have you ever wondered why believers spend so much time trying to solve problems, overcome challenges, and come out from trials and temptations victoriously?  The natural sense teaches us to first tackle the issue at hand and see how you can correct and amend things but the kingdom way is to take it to God in prayer and to ask how you go about the situation and what you need to learn from it. Today believers are too focused on the end point which is the blessings rather than the process. Take, for example, a parent who is taking his child to school needs to concentrate more on the road and make sure they arrive safely. When he gets to the traffic no matter how busy the road may be and if there are construction going on, he won’t try to beat the red light when he knows he is supposed to give way for other road users. Obedience to traffic laws, patience and self-control so as not to go over the speed limit is needed in order to arrive safely. You don’t drive recklessly and endanger other road users because you have an appointment to keep.

The same thing goes to every believer on earth irrespective of the country you are in don’t try to handle that situation by yourself. Involve God the Holy Spirit, this will help you make things easier, go through the situation with a joyful heart even in pain. The process is where the gain is because our character is being moulded. Some of us may be lacking in patience and you see yourself most times dealing with impatient people, what is the lesson there – learn to be patient and for you to persevere in an unfriendly environment. The same thing goes when you are in lack and in need of money, you find needy people around you. Would you be able to share the little you have with others or will you say when I have enough? If you can’t give when you have little, you will find it difficult to give when you have in abundance and when you do, you give in order to get the praises rather than to honour God. Just like the people of Israel complained and grumbled time after time despite them seeing God’s power in action they have refused to wholeheartedly trust God to bring them out of their situation. The same thing applies to some believers today. How then do you expect to grow and handle God’s blessings when you can’t trust Him? Is it good for us to receive from God and then refuse to trust Him with our lives – is this your philosophy, idea or what? No believer can grow beyond the revelational knowledge he/she has from the scriptures and applying it as well. Many have a head knowledge of God’s word but no revelation. Beloved bear in that God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, His Spirit deeply and gently within us (Ephesians 3:20). Note the word “working” in us. When you allow the Holy Spirit direct your path irrespective of your feelings or what people may think, you will begin to see more of His manifestation in your life as He uses you more often to encourage other believers who are weak in faith and to win more souls.

As I journey through life, I have come to appreciate every process God has taken me through – every twist and turn, roundabouts, bends and corners, etc. Studying and pondering over the Book of Exodus (the Israelites journey through the wilderness) has helped my spiritual journey in the area of trials and suffering for the name of Christ. I so planned my life that I was seeing how I will live by the time I retire but all that was messed up the moment I told God to take charge of my life. I believe some of us have experienced this the moment we are weaned enough to start handling solid food as Christians (Hebrews 5:11 – 14). I thought it strange when things started falling apart I never knew that God was tearing the wall I built (sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these), and was about to rebuild it with His own materials (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control).

The more you get closer to God the less of you (Matthew 3:11). Because we were born in sin that nature must be torn down and the only way is the way of the Cross: carrying your cross daily (Luke 9: 22 – 23). This is the only way, and no one chooses the way his own trials and sufferings, the way it will be or how long it will take. I never knew all this before until now. I never knew that what God was doing, He was renewing my mindset as I studied and pondered over His word “day and night”. Revelation comes thereby causing my faith to increase and as the light in God’s word shines on my path, my eyes of heart becomes enlightened causing me to understand my calling, the God I serve, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the body of Christ, and where God has placed me in the whole picture of the church (Ephesians 1: 17 – 19). Beloved this thing I am writing comes from a “long rigorous walk with God” on the narrow road and this walk is still on. As I began to see things the way God sees things (Romans 12:2) just like Isaac who was put on the table of sacrifice and he never struggled with his father, I struggle less every day until I could struggle no more. Trials and sufferings are indeed a blessing to every child of God just as James 1: 2 – 4 says, “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way (Message Bible).

Note the word “gift.” Trials and sufferings are tools God uses to prunes us, strengthen our faith, and to bring us into spiritual maturity (1 Peter 1: 6 – 9). Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it dies, it bringeth forth much fruit (John 12:24 NKJV). If you refuse to yield yourself and submit under the yoke of the Holy Spirit, you will remain hardened and not used as a vessel of honour by God (2 Timothy 2:21). Trials and sufferings are not meant to kill us rather put the flesh to death on a daily basis. Your complaints and refusal to face these light afflictions shows you can deny the Master and sell your birthright over a bowl of porridge. Having the mind to go through trials and sufferings is what the Lord considers as one who will endure till the end (Revelation 2:26a). Oh yes! Your dedication to Christ makes you look like a fool, but wise in His eyes! You may be weak, but you are so powerful! You are honoured, but we are ridiculed. You may go hungry and thirsty, without enough clothes to keep warm and no permanent roof over your head yet God uses you to be a blessing to many. You may be sick yet you pray for the sick and they are healed. Now I believe this may sound familiar so you should not see it as a strange thing when such things happen, many others believers around the world.

Beloved, don’t go praying for trials and sufferings to come or you do things on purpose that will bring sufferings to your life. Believers suffer most times because they lack knowledge. When God makes provisions and you refuse it because of “what people would say” or because He sent your enemy to give you a help (Exodus 3:22; 12: 35 – 36) if you refuse definitely you will be the one to suffer because of disobedience. Accept the help given to you and don’t go about making a mockery of the body of Christ thinking you are suffering for the Lord’s sake. Having the mind to suffer is what Christ wants to see in us (John 12:25).  We can flourish in the face of hardship because of His power at work within us. Like the pumpkin that withered, we may feel the wear and tear of our trials. But the joy of Jesus in us can continue to grow in spite of our trials and sufferings. Don’t deny yourself this spiritual growth and spiritual muscles that God is building in you. Bear in mind that it is in the place of John’s suffering that the Book of Revelation was birthed.

Trials are part of life and they are also part of the education given in the school of Christ to purify God’s children from the dross of earthiness. Christ Himself entered this school of affliction (trial) as an example to us who must follow His way and do His will (Hebrews 5:8). God has always tried His people in the furnace of affliction (trials). It is in the heat of the furnace that the dross is separated from the true gold of the Christian character (Malachi 3:3). The interesting thing about the trials we Christian go through is that Jesus watches the whole process; He knows what is needed to purify us that we may reflect the radiance of His love. It is by close testing trials that God disciplines His children. In His providence, God brings us into positions that test our character, and reveal defects and weaknesses that have been hidden from our own knowledge. God then gives us the opportunity to correct these defects and to fit ourselves for His service. He shows us our own weakness, and teaches us to lean on Him for He is our only help and safeguard (Psalm 37: 39 – 40).

Trials are the greatest blessings God has bestowed on His children. It is a gift bestowed upon those who choose to serve God faithfully. God permits us to encounter obstacles, persecution, and hardships not as a curse but as to develop in us the precious graces in His Spirit. Every temptation resisted, every trial bravely borne, gives us a new experience and advances in the work of character building, and also reveals to the world and to the heavenly, the universe of the grace of Christ. The cultivation of the virtue – patience, forms an integral part of our training success. For with the trials, defects in our character can be corrected. Patience must have its perfect work or we cannot be perfect and completely developed in our faith, not deficient in any way (James 1:4). Trials are an indication that God sees value in us just as a refiner sees something precious in an unrefined metal (Job 23:10; Isaiah 48:10). Next time you see yourself facing any trial, the question should be….. “Lord show me what you want me to learn that I may do so to enable me to be fit you’re your own use.” You will be asking what if the trials comes frequently what would be the response. Pray this prayer:

O Lord as I go through this trial I ask that You help me overcome and any other trial that is coming my way as a burden from the devil avert it in Jesus name…..Amen!!!