How could this happen to me? Why is my family going through such a difficult time? Why do I have to face these overwhelming emotions? Why do I feel so alone in this situation? Why can't I fight these temptations? Why am I suffering? Why do I feel rejected? Why do I experience failures? When will this end? Why do bad people succeed in life? Have you ever whispered these questions to yourself?
As a new believer, you often have high hopes that everything will fall into place, as if all your prayers will be answered effortlessly. You expect a smooth journey—almost like a fairy tale, where you’re the princess in a castle waiting for Prince Charming to come. But as you grow, you begin to realize the realities of life.
It’s easy to be idealistic, even in your faith. Everything seems beautiful, meaningful, and perfect. But when discouragement strikes, it can feel overwhelming. You might withdraw, lament, and become paralyzed by fear, waiting for days, months, or even years to hear joyful music again. You may start blaming yourself—thinking you haven’t prayed deeply enough, read the Bible consistently, or served God as you should. You convince yourself that your good works don’t reach heaven, so you retreat and run. Or perhaps, you point fingers, push people away, and abandon fellowship altogether.
Fiery trials, deep waters, and the valley of the shadow of death will come. They may shake your faith and sweep away your hope in God. Are you still surprised when this arrives at your doorstep?
James reminds us how we should respond to trials and temptations:
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:2-4)
How ironic, right? To consider trials pure joy? The world tells us that good people don’t deserve suffering—that bad people do. But the principles of God's kingdom are vastly different from the principles of this world. As followers of Christ, we shouldn’t be surprised when hardships come, when temptations linger, or when the brokenness of the world cuts deep. Instead, we can look to the love of our lives—the only truly good man, Jesus Christ. He suffered a horrible death, yet through that sacrifice came resurrection and redemption.
But what does it mean to be joyful in suffering? Does it mean you have to laugh when trials come? Of course not. It means you can rejoice because your hope is in Christ. You can endure because you know that testing will not break you—it will refine you. It reveals your weaknesses so that they can be surrendered to God. It gives you an opportunity to change, to grow, and to become more like Christ.
And here’s the promise: along with every command, God provides grace. So we expect fiery trials, and we are ready. We are not faithless, double-minded, or cowardly. We respond with honesty, faithfulness, patience, love, and selflessness. We extend grace to others, flee from lingering temptations, and run toward one another, consoling each other’s hearts.
And in the end, trials do not turn us into dust—they turn us into diamonds. They do not make us weak like mushrooms—they make us strong like giant oaks. And finally, we remember God's love and forgiveness, knowing that we can always come to Him. We can look to Jesus, who has already walked through every valley of death on our behalf.
If you’re reading this quietly, I encourage you to embrace the painful but powerful truth: as Christians, we will face various trials. We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. However, in the midst of these challenges, we can keep our focus on Jesus, who endured the cross for us. It isn’t easy for either of us, so we should pray more for one another, seeking to grow in Christ and stand firm in our faith.
We are not enough on our own. We need Jesus—to fight our battles, to help us withstand temptation, and to transform our trials into something beautiful. Through Him, our sins are forgiven, and we are given the gift of a purposeful life—not by our own strength, but by His grace, power, and might.
We need an army of believers—ready and prepared to face trials and stand against the enemy’s schemes.
And when we stand firm in faith, we become living testimonies of His goodness. We endure the test, and in the end, we receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.
"Let us not glide through this world and then slip quietly into heaven, without having blown the trumpet loud and long for our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Let us see to it that the devil will hold a thanksgiving service in hell when he gets the news of our departure from the field of battle." Charles Studd
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