Four Sources of Trials

If a man tied us down, flashed a bright light in our face, slashed us with a knife and took all our money, what do we call him?

 

It depends on whether it happened in a dark back alley or in an operating room. One is a thief trying to destroy us and the other is a doctor working for our best.

If we see trials akin to a back alley, we may question God’s heart: “When a trial hits me, how do I know God isn’t angry and just punishing me?” Satan’s henchmen enjoy pushing us around to separate us from our unchanging help, God Himself. Lean in close to God like David in Psalm 13:1-2 (“How long, O Lord…?”) and Jesus in Gethsemane (“Father, take this cup of the cross from me, if possible”). Awareness of these four sources of trials has helped me navigate rough waters…if I don’t linger too long on the “WHY?” but move quickly to “WHO?”

1. Jonah Trials: we may suffer for our own disobedience to God’s spiritual and natural laws and for our sins and stupidity.
2. Satan’s Trials: Christians may also suffer because of faithfully following Jesus without compromise, doing good in a world with a serpent/dragon/roaring lion seeking to devour us.
3. Genesis 3 Trials: we all suffer as human beings because we live in a fallen world alongside fallen humanity.
4. Job Trials: Christians also experience trials directly initiated by God to train us as His child for our highest and best.

The first two sources have different responses: repent and rebuke; simply receive the last two. Think of trials as a workout to become a top-tier athlete. God’s plan purposely bends us and shapes us so we are changed by His love into the image of His Son, Jesus (Rom. 8:29). God uses the kind of things we would never choose to bring about good in our lives. God is good and so can only do good, though it may not always seem so.

When a “tornado” storms into your life, how will you respond? “Lord, help me to actively lean into Your loving presence while also honestly facing the devastation of the turmoil swirling around me.”

• This avoids the pitfall of denial (“It’s not really so bad.”)
• Also of a victim/martyr spirit (“I always get the short end.”)
• Also of discouragement/depression (“What’s the use in trying.”)
• And it avoids the pitfall of passivity leading to disengagement (“Well, there’s nothing I can do anyway.”)

The Thessalonian believers were only 3-weeks old when his enemies drove Paul out. He wrote back to them, reminding them of what he had already taught them on trials (1 Thess. 3:3b-4). So take one difficult trial from your past. Spend time to “Treasure Hunt,” mining God’s good He brings out of the bad. Then reframe the painful event with God’s light.

This is Reflection #30 in my book, Foundation Stones. I also have a web-site with tools, books and "more than Bible studies" that have helped me to live out of this spiritual DNA, www.JimFredericks.com