I recently went through one of the biggest trials of my life. I'm sure you know what it's like. Sometimes it feels like the entire world is crashing all around you. Sometimes you feel helpless to do much about it. Of course, that's not true. We're not helpless. And, in fact, we have the Helper and the God of all Comfort. Here's a different perspective. When you go through trials, focus on the proverbial silver lining: it's producing endurance in you. It's been said that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. And we know that God will never put more on us than we can bear. We need endurance.
You can watch some of my videos on enduring trials.
Why Do We Need Endurance?
Endurance matures us. James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Again, what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.)
Endurance prepares us to handle blessings God wants to pour out on us. Hebrews 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” Many times our character needs to be refined to receive God’s best.
What to Do While You Are Enduring
There is plenty of Bible instruction on how what to do while you are enduring a trial. If you follow these instructions, you will develop more endurance and it will make you stronger as you go forward to the next trial. Yes, there will be another trial. That's just part of life. But you can grow and mature in Christ and learn how to endure with grace.
First, rejoice. Romans 5:3-4 says, “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” Get your mind off yourself and on to God. If you keep your mind on Him, He'll keep you in perfect peace. It's one of those supernatural promises that defies understanding, but it's absolutely true.
You should also pray without ceasing. Romans 12:12 says, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Humble yourself and lean on Him entirely. He'll get you through this. He really will.
Also, think of what Jesus endured. Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
Listen, you’ve got the same Holy Ghost that Jesus did. You've got the same Holy Spirit that Paul and Stephen and others you read about in the Bible did. You just have to lean on Him. I want to leave you with this prayer from Colossians 1:9-12:
“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;
Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness…” Amen!
If you want to learn to hear God's voice clearly in the midst of trial, check out my prophetic training videos on YouTube.
