In the world you have tribulation and trials (John 16:33 AMP). I believe most people would agree with it. If you read the rest of that verse, you get to the encouraging part where Jesus says we can take heart because He has overcome the world. But the truth is, we all go through hard times and have to learn how to overcome them through Christ. Trials reveal what we really believe and whats really inside our hearts. They test us. And until were in a situation where we have no choice but to face an issue we need to deal with, we dont really know what we would do. James 1:2 (AMP) says we should consider it wholly joyful when we experience a trial or face a temptation. Verse 3 goes on to say that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. Its Gods will for us to stay in peace and make decisions with godly wisdom in every circumstance in our lives. We can face our trials and tests with joy when we understand that its by going through them that we learn how to live in Gods peace, joy and wisdom all the time—whatever our circumstances may be. So how do we pass our tests? What are some temptations we can have when were going through something thats really tough? Here are several common ones: 1. We can be tempted to go back to an old habit or addiction weve been set free from. If there are habits or addictions that have been broken in your life, the devil will try to tempt you to go back to them when youre having a hard time. Submit yourself to God, humble yourself before Him, and He will give you the strength to resist the temptation. 2. We can be tempted to be angry with God and resent people who dont have the same problems we have or who have things we want, especially things we think would make our lives easier. This leads to complaining, and God wants us to totally get over complaining because it affects our lives in a destructive way more than we realize. So when youre tempted to be angry with God or other people and complain, set your mind to praise Him instead and thank Him for His goodness in your life. 3. Trials can tempt us to become indignant and say things like, Why is this happening to me? I dont understand why this is happening to me?! We dont tend to think this way when other people have problems, and its easy to look at them and say, You just need to trust God and press through this… Instead of wondering why and feeling sorry for ourselves, we need to say, Dont panic…this is only a test! Because the truth of the matter is, this too will pass, and well get through it with more peace and stability if well trust God to do what is best for us at the right time and in His way. 4. We can also be tempted to take matters into our own hands. Have you ever thought, Im not going to put up with this any more! Im going to do something about this! When we take matters into our own hands, we delay or miss the blessing that God wants to give us. Instead, we need to be determined to trust God and wait on Him to work things out. God loves you so much and He has a great plan for your life. Trust that Hes in control and will work things out for your good when youre going through a trial. The next time youre being tested, tell God, I trust You. _________________
Posted on: Wed, 04 Dec 2013 14:01:48 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015