Any Christian will tell you that the moment you give your life to Christ does not magically erase all your troubles. Hard times come and we all have to deal with them. Unfortunately, in our entitled culture, we often think that we deserve an easy life without any trouble. This is just not the case. So, we must learn how to deal with difficulties with grace, whilst ensuring we do not gloss over stuff or pretend like everything is OK all the time. The book of Job is a great template for this sort of paradoxical living.
Job lost everything and was constantly being told by his friends that it was his fault. He went from one nightmare to another, constantly wondering why this was happening to him. Have you ever felt like that? “How many times have we been faced with unexpected trials that tried to derail our stability and faith?” asks Sara Moss at Relevant.
But when we are at rock bottom, we must cry out to God for help, instead of blame him for putting us there. “With any difficult situation or trial we are faced with, we can use it as an opportunity or challenge to simply go deeper with our relationship with God, holding steadfast to our God and giving everything we have to Him,” writes Moss.
“In fact, when we are faced with a trial, we can see it as a wonderful blessing and opportunity to surrender even further in our lives, examining each area of our lives, particularly related to the trial and giving God permission to completely purify our hearts.”
This is the best way to deal with trial and suffering. Give your frustrations and you pain to God, and ask Him to purify your heart and shape your character.
Often someone will say look at Job, yet, why not look at Christ? Trials and tribulation were his daily fair. As a Christian we have taken on the mantle of Christ. We have taken on the life of Christ. We have been invested with the Spirit by our being born of the Spirit then filled and filling with the Spirit. (God invests his Spirit not once, twice but over and over again there are and can be as many fillings of his Spirit as a Christian can take steps in running the race) Christ said in this life you will have tribulation – but be of good cheer I have overcome the world. How great is our God, that the definitions of our life is the power of the indestructible life overflowing life and to add to that the glory of Christ in increasing measure! 2 Cor. 3:18