By: C. Stanley
And we know that God causes
everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called
according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he
chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among
many brothers and sisters. – Rom. 8: 28-29 (NLT)
If we could choose the number of difficulties we would face in a month,
most of us would pick zero. Yet the Lord sees value in troublesome times.
Through His mighty power, He uses trials to achieve His plans.
One of God’s purposes for us is a growing intimacy in our relationship
with Him. But He knows we struggle to put Him first over our own interests.
Many of us place higher priority on family and friends than on companionship
with God. For others, finances, the workplace, or even pleasures interfere.
When the Lord sees our attention is drifting away from Him, He might use
hardships to draw us back so that we’ll give Him His proper place.
Another reason God allows difficulties is to conform us to the image of
Jesus. Pain is a tool that brings areas of ungodliness to the surface; God also
uses it to sift, shape, and prune us. The sanctification process—the building
of Christlike character into our lives—starts at salvation and ends with our
last breath.
A third aim for stressful circumstances is to reveal true convictions.
Our faith is tested in tough times. It’s easy to say, “God is good” when things
are peaceful. But when everything goes awry, what do we believe about Him? At
such times, do our words and actions reveal an attitude of trust?
King David endured many heartaches—a disintegrating family, personal
attacks, and betrayal by those close to Him. But through trials, he gained
deeper intimacy with God, stronger faith, and more godly character. Won’t you
let the Lord use your present situation to accomplish His good purpose?
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