If you’re a human being, you have faced trials in your lifetime. Some more than others, but you’ve still faced a trial. It may be big or it may be small, but trials have the power to make or break us. To be raw, trials suck. They’re excruciating. They take the life out of us. Sometimes they can surround us to the point where we are blinded to anything outside of what we’re facing. Every single person reading this knows exactly what I’m talking about.

It seems so unfair and we just want answers. Why is this happening to me? That’s a question I’ve sought an answer to in the midst of every trial I’ve faced in the past nineteen years of my life. We are constantly seeking and striving towards truth behind the darkness that tends to surround us. Before I genuinely accepted Christ into my heart, I found myself constantly feeding the darkness around me. I fed one trial with another because I was too prideful to let it go. I allowed these circumstances to pull me away from the light rather than running towards it. Worst mistake of my life.

I was at a point in my life where God could no longer get my attention because I was too caught up in my own struggles and was consumed by my own darkness, so He did what He saw He had to do to get my attention; the death of my big brother.

This is it. My entire world is over and I’m beyond a point of ever finding happiness. I can’t do this anymore.

Or so I thought.

And it worked. God sure got my attention. My attention of endless anger and screaming at Him, how could you be so cruel as to let this happen to me? But He quieted me. He calmed my soul. I will never forget the three words He spoke to me that very day, trust in me. I had nothing to lose, after all, I just lost everything that ever mattered to me, so I did. I trusted Him and He brought me through, day by day. He gave me a new joy I’d never imagined and defeated every ounce of darkness I had left in my soul.

You see, God isn’t the one who places these trials among your life. The enemy is the one who does. The difference is, God is the one who allows them. The enemy can’t touch you if he doesn’t have permission from God. What our human minds don’t recognize is the fact that God will never do anything to harm you, but He does things to strengthen you. To grow you. To draw you closer to Him and His goodness. It’s yourself who let’s it harm you. As much as it seems like you don’t, you have the choice as to whether or not the trials He places among your life will destroy you, or lead you to a whole new light. When you let it lead you closer to Him, He will provide to you such endless joy. But the difference between happiness and joy is; happiness is a feeling. It lasts a moment. Joy on the other hand, it lasts forever. It’s a mindset you have. This is why you have the ability to remain joyful through trials. It doesn’t mean you’re happy you’re going through a hard time, it means you have the ability to see towards the incredible end result rather than focusing on the hardship that surrounds you.

If we were constantly content and comfortable with our lives, do you genuinely think we would want to seek the goodness of God? I sure wouldn’t. If I was always content, I have no reason to be desperate for Him to enter into my life. I would start to stray away from Him because I wouldn’t need Him. Who needs a Savior when they don’t need saving? Trials aren’t meant for our destruction, they’re meant for redirection. God doesn’t allow trials in our life to destroy us, but to bring us back to the path that leads to His Kingdom. He will bless you so abundantly through the trial if you remain obedient to Him and ask, God, what do you want me to learn from this? Rather than, God, why is this happening to me? Let your focus never leave the Kingdom of God. Keep your eyes on Him rather than what you’re facing and you will feel so blessed.

So when He allows trials to enter into your life, take it and run with it rather than away from it. Every battle we face is not a battle we face alone, because ultimately, He has already won the war. Believe me when I say this, God didn’t send His one and only Son to die on the cross for our sin and our imperfection just to watch us struggle. He doesn’t want to discipline you but if He sees it will do you good, He will. The thing with God is He never loses His patience with you. He understands your desperation to escape the trial, but if you keep pursuing His Word and His Kingdom even if it’s the last thing you want to do, it will be so worth it.

Let Him point you to the cross. Give it to Him and let Him take care of it rather than trying to figure it out on your own because I promise you, you won’t. He wants to hear about what you’re going through. He wants you to speak to Him about what you’re facing. And He is listening, He is always listening and taking your desires into consideration.

So the next time you face a trial, remember this, it’s for your own delight in the Lord and personal growth towards the kingdom. It’s not God’s wrath coming down on you, but His endless love and mercy. He not only wants you to draw close to Him, but He also wants to draw close to you. Take comfort in this.

“Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” // John 8:12