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.