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Here's what I know, if you come through your trials with a deeper abiding faith that is the most important aspect of your trial. This deeper abiding faith gives you a peace in the storm. It doesn't make you lazy or complacent, but it is reassuring. You really do learn that it is wasteful to worry.
It's not always that at the end of our trials that we are better than where we started - you know, we're not richer, or have less problems for example. It is that we came through and the storm has abated.
On a daily basis, how this plays out is by a simple act of believing you don't have to worry but doing what you can by renewing and transforming your mind. How you deal with problems and life starts with your mind. Your mind holds both your emotions and your reasoning so this also affects your heart.
In spite of all the things that appear to not be going right, there is a calmness; there is no depression or despondency though sometimes there is a sense of frustration. Frustration comes because of impatience of wanting the hard time to be over; of wanting a respite.
But the One who is in control, His timing is not ours - 2 Peter 3:8. So what are we to make of our year, or years of hardship? And what is our hardship compared to what he went through for us? Is the lack of hardship the goal in life? Can we prevent hardship? No.
So we remember the promise of James 1:4:
Dear brothers and sisters,[a] when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
We need nothing, because at the end of it all, we have truly learned that we have the One who provides all of our needs.
Thank you for writing this.
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