What do I tend to live like when trials come? What patterns of behavior do I fall into? Will I continue to do what is right? Will I stay disciplined in my efforts to remain close to God? Or will I withdraw from others, including God, and allow my fears and my situation to control me?
When the roots of our faith become a foundational part of who we are, we handle the trials of life differently. We no longer live by what we feel – but by what we know.
Quite possibly, we look at our trials with the wrong perspective. We tend to view them as something meant to test us, correct us, or even punish us. We can end up questioning God’s love and character.
But what if we looked at trials in the way that they were explained in the book of Daniel. “Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials.” (Daniel 12:10a) If God’s plan for allowing trials into the lives of His beloved children is meant to purify us – exposing and expelling that which needs to be shed from our lives – making us clean by removing the waste and excess from our lives – is God not in fact showing us great love and providing us with a great gift? God, the Master Creator, is using whatever is necessary to help us become the masterpiece He sees within us.
No doubt, you feel as I do. The process isn’t always easy. It seems to take far longer than I ever hoped. Yet, when I remember that God is the Master Artist, who sees deep within the medium before Him, I know that my heart of stone will be chiseled into something beautiful. I know that the broken chips and cracks that compose my soul will be filled by His hand, and will form into restored patterns that attract the eyes of others whose cracks are similar but not yet transformed.
God does not waste our hurt. God has not abandoned us. He is not trying to destroy us. His desire is to transform us.
Blessings!