5 Ways the Lord May Be Redeeming Your Trial — Ami Loper

All of us go through them; none of us enjoy them. Trials.

We’re told to count them a joy (James 1:2). We’re told they bring a blessing (James 1:12). We’re told to be thankful in all circumstance (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

Still… they range from unpleasant to catastrophic and are unwelcome, to say the least.

But we are also told that God, though He does not send them, will use them. He will turn them for our good (Romans 8:28).

God is a Redeemer. It’s who He is; it’s His character. When you placed your life in His hands, He redeemed you. He took you into His hands and He began molding, shaping, transforming you into His likeness and into someone who could be blessed and be a blessing.

Just as, back in “the day,” people used to redeem aluminum cans or glass bottles for money, God takes what is worthless and gives us back something valuable.

He does this with people, but He also does it with trials. He redeems anything we are willing to trustingly place in His hands. Once it is in His hands, His redemptive nature goes to work to turn something broken into something beautiful.

During my most recent trial (one of the worst I’ve experienced), as I prayed and journaled with the Lord one morning, I made a list. I called it my, “Things I want to gain out of this trial” list. This was my way of partnering with the Redeemer, my way of seeing where He was working in me through the trial and getting on board with Him. Here is my list:

1.       Perspective. When terrible things happen, they give us the gift of perspective. Everything else is small stuff. I can rejoice in the smallness of all my other worries, questions and conflicts. I can see ALL of life, not allowing the bad to crowd out the good.

2.       Better Habits. Whether this means better communication, better boundaries or better self-control, trials can bring to the surface what the Holy Spirit is ready to deal with in our lives. This is our opportunity to grow.

3.       Determination. Once you get a few hefty trials under your belt and realize that it is, in part, the enemy trying to come against you and bog you down or get you to quit, you are at a crucial juncture: develop a holy anger at the enemy or go sit on the sidelines. Personally, I’ve endured too much to roll over and quit. How about you?

4.       Compassion. It is the easy road to go through things and think of yourself as the only one, the only one in pain, the only one whose world is crushing around them. But if we want to grow from what we experience, we can learn to approach each person as potentially also hurting. We can view others with the compassion that knows we all experience pain. Each trial we experience has the potential to make us more selfish or more like Jesus. I choose more like Jesus.

5.       Action Plan. Every trial we go through can instruct us; it should inform how we react to the next trial. We lose in trials when we do not move on with greater wisdom, a better equipped arsenal of weapons and a deeper trust. My action plan when a bad situation hits is:

a.       Get God’s perspective. In prayer, I need to find out what God is saying about my situation and how I should be praying and responding right now?

b.       Get Scriptural confirmation. Your best weapon is to get ahold of a Scripture that confirms what God’s perspective is and stand on it, come what may. (If you need help finding a Scripture, check out some of the ones in my free Resource section. I have ones for battling fear, rejection and for finding God’s compassion in my situation.)

c.       Do warfare with praise. Once you’re declaring Scripture, setting your heart right with praise is another weapon in your arsenal. Now, there have been times when I’m so broken, I can’t yet open my mouth in song. I understand if this is where you are, but let the praises play around you while God is mending your heart.

d.       Make the enemy sorry for attacking you. If the enemy wants to pick on me, I am going to preach more, pray with more strangers, bless more with my words, my skills and my finances. I am determined to not let the enemy enjoy my pain.

These are the ways I have found the Lord redeeming my trials. How about you? How has He redeemed your situation?

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4

For more on “How to Prevail in Life,” click HERE!