When Life Is Full of Speed Bumps

Trials

That's a no fun word, that's one that no one wants to hear. And no one wants to hear the words struggles, troubles, speed bumps, road blocks either. We want our life to run smoothly, and something we just don't understand when it doesn't. Well we may have the head knowledge of knowing that life, especially the Christian life, is not going to be easy. But can we really say that we know it as heart knowledge too?

So these last couple of weeks have been super hard for a lot of people, for various reasons. It's been tough as a friend to watch as those closest to me got handed trial after trial after trial. Some of my friends were used to it, some were not. And I guess my heart broke more for those who weren't used to being hit back to back by unfortunate circumstances. My heart broke, because it was these who asked the question “why” more than anyone.

I hate the question “why” when it comes to God. God why did you do this, why are you doing that? And while I know I say the word too, I hate it. I hate it because it is shows us faltering in faith. See this is another head knowledge, heart knowledge issue. We know in our heads that God is using all things for our good, but sometimes we don't always feel it in our heart. We think, if God is so incredible, if He is so good, then why do these things happen to us. I think its dangerous to think along those lines. God is great and wonderful and He loves us more than we deserve. And we just got to learn, that somethings that He does, we aren't always going to understand. That's one of the things that makes Him incredible, He's indescribable. If we knew everything about Him, everything that He was thinking, all of His ways, then we wouldn't be as in awe of God.

Trials have a purpose. They are to shape and mold us into the masterpiece that God wants us to be. Trials chisel out the bad things, they cast out the impurities, they help us to grow and mature because as one quote says, God loves us too much to let us stay the way that we are. There's no doubt that trials hurt, but they are a necessary pain, just like when you get surgery.

Why do we get surgery? To fix a part of our body that's not functioning properly, to take out something that is harming us, to make us better in some sort of way. Surgery hurts, but the doctor doesn't perform surgery because it hurts, he doesn't do it to harm us, he doesn't do it for no reason. He does it because he needs to, to make us better.

God is the doctor in our lives, and when we have trials and troubles, its like he's performing surgery. He does it because He knows we need it, to help us to become better. Yeah it hurts, yeah it sometimes takes a while to heal, but in the end, we come out of it more healthy than before, in the end we realize how necessary it is.

Trials suck, and sometimes we just can't see how on earth they are going to bring any good at all. But trust in God, trust that He knows what He's doing, because He definitely does. And yes its painful, but just because its painful doesn't mean we can't lift our heads up high, and put a smile on our face knowing the other blessings that God has given us. Look back at all the times that things haven't gone your way, you made it through it, you always do. God never gives us more than we can handle, and if you are feeling like you're overwhelmed, look at it this way, God trusts you so much, that He gave you a really big task. Isn't it incredible knowing that God knows you can handle it, that God believes in you so much, because God does. God isn't trying to drown us with all these troubles, He's trying to develop us.  

Don't let trials drown you, because that is not what God's trying to do. Instead, lean on God, go to Him because His arms are wide open and ready to guide you through. Count your blessings, it should feel you with joy all the wondering things that God is doing in your life, all the wonderful things that God has given you. Don't forget about those. And it's okay to feel hurt, to feel pain, but don't keep yourself from healing. And when you feel like you can't do much more, remember Isaiah 40:28-31

28 Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.