“Times of trouble have often been times of triumph to a believer. Suffering seasons have generally been sifting seasons in which the Christian has lost his chaff, and the hypocrite his courage.”
-William Secker
The Bible says that trials and tribulations shape our character and personalities, helping us grow as mature Christians. What are the trials you have faced? Are your husband and children unsaved? Are you struggling to have a baby? Do you have constant health problems? Have you lost a loved one? Whatever be the difficulty, be confident that God will use it to become a blessing to you.
Did you know that your trials have many spiritual and mental benefits? Take a look at these: Your problems can drive you to prayer and also help improve the prayer life of others (Isaiah 38:1–2, James 5:13–15), develop our inner person (James 1:2–4, Romans 5:1–5), help you to empathize with those who go through the same problem (2 Corinthians 1:3), and above all, give you a wonderful opportunity to witness to others and glorify God’s name! (2 Corinthians 12:9–10, John 11:4)
Whenever you feel crushed by the weight of your problems, remember these two verses: Genesis 42:36 and Romans 8:28. In the former, Jacob cries out that “all these things are against me”. In Romans, Paul declares confidently that “all these things are working together for good to those who love the Lord”. At the end of the day, you must choose between these two attitudes. Are you going to allow your problems to crush you or are you going to rise up and overcome them for God’s glory? Romans 8:37 declares that we are more than conquerors through Christ. So, choose to beat life’s difficulties instead of letting it beat you up.