Tag: 1 Peter 1:6-7

Becoming Spiritually Durable

Moses’ conversations with the Lord may have happened thousands of years ago, but there’s something so relatable about them. Consider, for example, how he complains to God after Pharaoh increases the Israelites’ workload: “Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Is this why you sent me? Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued your people at all.’” (Exodus 5:22-23, NIV)

Maybe you’ve felt like Moses at some point– you stepped out in faith and took a risk to obey the Lord. Despite your best efforts, things didn’t turn out as you hoped or expected. If we’re pursuing God’s will, should we anticipate encountering difficulty? Is it reasonable to expect the path of God’s will to be free of roadblocks or conflict? While we tend to label challenges and setbacks as “bad” because they’re painful, uncomfortable, or frustrating, I don’t think God sees them through the same negative lens. From His vantage point, they’re just tools that are part of the process helping us to grow, mature, and understand our need for Him. 

Think of this concept in terms of physical fitness. If you want to have a healthy cardiovascular system, strong muscles, and durable bones, then challenges need to be a regular part of your exercise routine. Instructors for my spin classes are constantly pushing me to increase resistance to make it harder to pedal. It’s grueling, but if a workout is too easy, it’s not building endurance or strength. Making our bodies work hard may not feel good in the moment, but it produces durability that will benefit us in the long run. 

This same principle applies in our spiritual lives. We don’t grow through easy, comfortable, or predictable circumstances. Progressing in spiritual maturity comes from trusting God through conflicts, roadblocks, and setbacks. Let’s take a look at some passages of Scripture and see what we can learn.

1. Difficulties help us build perseverance and character. Trials remind us that our hope isn’t in earthly circumstances going the way we want, but in knowing that God deeply loves us. “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:3-5, NIV)

2. Hardships lead us to experience joy knowing we’re persevering and maturing in our faith. “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, NIV)

3. Trials refine our faith and show that it’s authentic. God receives glory when we endure hardships without losing hope in Him. “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7, NIV)

4. Setbacks keep us spiritually sharp. When the enemy tries to thwart God’s plans, we can fight back using the spiritual authority we have through Christ. As we stand firm in the faith, we experience God’s power at work in and through us. Trusting the Lord through hardships also gives us empathy and unity with other believers experiencing similar difficulties. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” (1 Peter 5:8-9, NIV)

5. Challenges help us clarify our purpose and identify areas we need to surrender to the Lord. Sometimes they humble us and reveal sin we’ve been ignoring. Once we confess and repent, we’re freed to move forward and focus more completely on God and His plans for us. We’re also able to identify with Jesus, who experienced and overcame opposition. “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12:1-3, NIV)

When you experience setbacks or conflicts as you’re pursuing God’s will, don’t fall into the trap the Israelites did. Although Moses provides reassurance that the Lord will redeem them and bring them to the land He promised their forefathers, they refuse to receive his encouragement: “Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.” (Exodus 6:9, NIV) Sometimes we can be so mired in difficult circumstances that we reject truth offered to us by others. In seasons of challenge and hardship beware of becoming bitter or incapable of receiving encouragement. Don’t let setbacks harden your heart, causing hopeful and positive words to bounce off you.

Rather than seeing difficulties as roadblocks to accomplishing God’s plans, we can see them as necessary parts of the maturing process. Jesus reminds the disciples: “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33, NIV) When we expect troubles to be part of life, we’re less likely to let them surprise or discourage us. Instead, we equip ourselves with encouragement from God’s Word. Then we’re more prepared to press on and trust Him to use hardships for our good and His glory.

If you’re in a season of challenge or discouragement right now, let Mac Powell’s song “New Creation” lift your spirits today. Click here to listen.

Post inspired by Jen Wilkin’s God of Deliverance: A Study of Exodus 1-18, Lifeway Press, 2021.

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God’s Refining Fire

A tattered newspaper clipping fell to the floor as I turned the pages of an old photo album. Picking it up, I realized it was an article that my mom had saved for over 25 years. At the top of the page there’s a photo of me brimming with youthful exuberance. The paper from 1993 tells the story of my first day as a new high school teacher. I was young and naïve and had agreed to let a reporter spend the day with me, at the request of the school district.

Looking back all these years later, I smirked as I read the reporter’s observations about my Leadership class: “It is quickly obvious that this class will take up much of [Marybeth’s] time. [She] will serve as adviser to the school’s student leaders. She seems energized by the challenge and spends 45 minutes after class talking with the student body president and vice president.” (Michael Bazeley, Tri-Valley Herald, September 9, 1993)

Little did I know at the time that within a few weeks, I’d be crying to my fiancée, wishing I’d never accepted what had seemed like the perfect job for me. The students were used to running the show and didn’t like the changes I wanted to make. I’d had such grand plans for imparting my wisdom to them, but all they wanted was my signature on forms and an adult presence to appease the school administration. Both teacher and students had a lot to learn that year.

That season in my life came to mind when I read Kelly Minter’s questions in Finding God Faithful: ”Have you ever been unhappy with the people God has assigned you to? Have you ever thought, I could do a bang-up job for the Lord if He had just given me different family members, more efficient coworkers, a better church?” (p. 48) That teaching job was one of several times I’ve lamented the situation where God has placed me. 

Minter springboards from these convicting questions to explain how God used Joseph’s time in prison described in Genesis 39 & 40. She says the Lord’s purpose was to refine and prepare Joseph for the work he would do later. Minter explains that God “tests us to grow us, strengthen us, and refine us. The imagery of gold being purified by fire references a certain process of purification. The testing doesn’t depend on what’s passing through the fire, but the sureness of the fire to remove the impurities.” (p. 49)

The idea of God’s refining process appears in the Old Testament book of Malachi, which describes a messenger who will come to God’s people: “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner’s fire or a launderer’s soap.” (Malachi 3:2, NIV) Spiritual renewal comes through the testing and cleansing we endure. Refining fire brings precious metal to light, just as strong detergent cleans dirty clothes. The refining process isn’t meant to punish God’s people, but to prepare the way of the Lord. It trains us in obedience so we can be restored to God and can fulfill His purposes for us.*

For me, that first year teaching was a refining process for my character and faith. It was a humbling, difficult season in my life. However, the trials I endured strengthened me and taught me how to interact with a variety of people, solve problems, communicate clearly, organize groups effectively, and cultivate rapport with others. My years working at the high school refined me in ways that I still benefit from today.

Looking at Joseph’s time in prison, it’s clear God used it as a refiner’s fire to prepare him for what was coming. He learned to lead as he worked with the guards and prisoners from all backgrounds. At the same time, he gained experience managing the prison and interacting with Egyptian officials. The Lord had given him the raw materials of leadership and Joseph’s time in prison was what He used to develop that potential.

So, with these things in mind, how would you answer Kelly Minter’s question: “Are you willing to comply with the Lord during these seasons of testing?” (page 49) Is it possible that God is refining you right now? If you’re experiencing challenges, are you willing to ask the Lord what He wants to teach you through them? Is He using people around you to highlight areas that need growth in you?

Let Joseph’s example inspire you. Despite being in prison, he used his gift of leadership and showed consistency of character. By doing this, God’s presence and favor were evident to all who encountered him. Enduring that time of suffering in prison also humbled Joseph and prepared him for the bigger plans God had in store for him. 

The refining process may not be enjoyable, but we can trust God to use it for good. Scripture reassures us of this: “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7, NIV)

I pray you’ll trust God in your trials and will submit to the work of refinement He’s doing in you. Maybe He’s preparing you for something else He has planned. Let Him prove your faith is genuine for your good and His glory. Listen to the song “Refiner’s Fire” and make it your prayer today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXIzEZ3mkWE

Kelly Minter, Finding God Faithful: A Study on the Life of Joseph, Lifeway Press, 2019.

*Anne Stewart, Commentary on Malachi 3:1-4

Suffering Isn’t Punishment

We have lots of names for it: payback, karma, retribution. We use clichés like “you get what you deserve” or “you had it coming to you.” Often, we examine a person’s life to make sense of why they’re enduring hardships. And, like Job’s friends, we make faulty assumptions like this: “(1) All suffering is the result of sin. (2) God punishes each act of sin with a penalty that corresponds to the gravity of the sin. (3) Suffering is proof of personal guilt.”1

It’s clear in Scripture that God punishes evil and sin. A few notable examples are the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 18 & 19 and the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5 (you can read them later if you need a reminder).  

That said, any punishment we deserve for sin has already been dealt with on the cross: “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:22-26, NIV)

Anyone who puts faith in Jesus as Savior is no longer subject to the penalty that sinners deserve because restitution has already been made. So, if we’re not being punished, what other reasons might there be for our suffering? Here are a few:

Discipline: Sometimes hard things happen to us because we need to be disciplined. When we receive correction from God and let it refine us, we prove that we are His children and that we trust Him: “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father?” The passage continues, “God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:7, 10b-11, NIV)

If you’re enduring hardship right now, ask the Lord to make it clear if He’s disciplining you for some reason. Invite a godly friend to give you some perspective. Maybe you need accountability on some sinful behaviors or attitudes that you’re overlooking.

Spiritual Maturity: Sometimes God allows hardships because they develop spiritual maturity in us and prove our faith is genuine. Suffering can foster character qualities we need to grow in our relationship with the Lord: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4, NIV)

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7, NIV)

Perhaps there’s a latent quality in you that God is uncovering through what you’re enduring. Or maybe there’s an aspect of your character that God is refining through your hardship.

To Display God’s Glory: As Bible teacher Lisa Harper says, sometimes our suffering is a conduit for God’s glory. When we lean into Him and trust Him, we grow closer to the Lord. We also impact others with the hope we find in Him, whether we get a favorable outcome or not.

When Jesus and His disciples encountered a man blind from birth, they asked, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus replied, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned…but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.” Later, the man shared his story with the Pharisees, saying “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!” (John 9:1-3, 25, NIV)

Paul also explained that suffering displays God’s glory, even while we’re experiencing it: “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14, NIV)

Are you willing to pray and ask God to show His glory through your suffering? 

To Experience God’s Power: Suffering strips away anything else we’ve relied on for strength and drives us to God. Paul explains: “Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, NIV)

Have you tapped into the sufficiency of God’s grace to strengthen you through your hardships?

Encouragement for Others: Walking faithfully with God through suffering opens us to His blessings and gives hope to others enduring hardship: “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” (James 5:11, NIV)

Have you considered the way your response to suffering could be like Job’s? Like him, we have the opportunity to inspire others and lead them to the God of hope.

If you’re suffering right now, let the words of “King of My Heart” by Bethel Music encourage you today.

  1. J. Mark Terry, “Job’s Friends: Models of Compassion?” quoted from Job: A Story of Unlikely Joy by Lisa Harper, Lifeway Press 2018, p. 56

Accepting the Assignment of Refinement

Vibrating beneath my hands, the power sander spewed a cloud of fine dust as I ran it over the wood. The dresser had an ugly, opaque finish and I was curious to see the quality of the wood hidden beneath it. To my delight, the sanding revealed pure, unblemished maple with a beautiful grain that far exceeded my expectations.

I was reminded of that recently as I turned the page of my Bible study book and read author Nicki Koziarz’ first habit of a woman who doesn’t quit: “She Accepts the Assignment of Refinement.” Refinement is defined as the process of removing impurities or unwanted elements from a substance; the improvement or clarification of something by the making of small changes. I believe this definition doesn’t just describe the process for inanimate objects, it also explains the way we can be refined spiritually.

This makes me think of one of the first Bible passages that ever jumped off the page at me. It was during my freshman year in college, which was a season of tremendous loneliness for me. I had surrendered my life to Jesus, and really wanted to honor Him in the choices I made, but was finding it challenging in my secular surroundings. One morning, I read this passage and found renewed strength to persevere:

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7, NIV)

I took heart because the passage assured me the trials and challenges I was facing were refining my faith and proving it was genuine in the same way gold is purified by being refined by fire.

Like using a sander on wood, trials refine our faith. They remove the ugly layers of protection we often put on ourselves over time. Pride. Self-sufficiency. Impatience. Selfishness. Faith that was obscured by those layers is revealed and clarified when trials draw it to the forefront of our lives. Persevering by keeping our eyes on Jesus enables us grow deeper in our relationship with Him. This opens a conduit for us to experience His love and comfort in ways we never would in times of ease and comfort

Oftentimes when we study a passage like this one, we envision major “life event” sort of trials. A cancer diagnosis. The death of a family member.  The loss of a job. An ugly divorce. A traumatic event that derails plans and dreams.

While those life-altering trials often refine our faith, smaller difficulties can produce the same results, if we let them. A challenging person or situation becomes spiritual sandpaper in the hands of God. Any trial we face is ripe to become an assignment of refinement, if we’re open to it.

The Bible makes many references to the Lord as a refiner. Psalm 66:10 states it clearly. “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.” God uses people and situations to magnify our impurities so that we can be cleansed of them. When we submit to Him, this process changes our perspectives and makes us look more like Jesus in our actions and attitudes. 

In the book of Zechariah God speaks again about refinement. “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’” (Zechariah 13:9b)

A few years ago, my family experienced a relentless chain of hard circumstances that led us to deeper intimacy with Jesus and profound spiritual growth. Ironically, at the center of many uncontrollable difficulties was a situation that we’d brought on ourselves: a home remodel.

With every annoyance we experienced, from doing laundry on our back patio to living without a kitchen for seven months, to working with an unreliable contractor, we learned we had a choice. We could wallow in self-pity and bitterness or we could let God refine us through the process. 

We started praying a one line question each time we faced a setback: “God, what are you trying to teach us right now?” Then, we braced ourselves for the answer. God revealed many ugly impurities in us that needed to be surrendered to Him throughout our remodel. And, as painful as it was, we chose to let Him do His refining work in us. He uncovered a lack of patience and a craving for control. He taught us to wait and watch for His answers in His timing. Submitting to that process transformed us in ways we never would have expected.

The struggles and challenges we face, both large and small, are an amazing opportunity to uncover the faith planted deep within us. As I learned with refinishing my dresser, true beauty shows only after the refining process removes the ugly outer layers. “When we start to see the hard, messy places as assignments of refinement, something shifts in our souls…It’s about letting the hard things make us strong.”*

Rather than lamenting the difficult things we must endure, we can rejoice knowing that they are revealing a genuine and lasting faith that is more valuable than anything this world could offer.

Are you in a season of waiting and wondering how in the world God could use your hard situation for good? Let the lyrics of “Take Courage” by Bethel Music bring you hope today.

*Nicki Koziarz, A Woman Who Doesn’t Quit by , Lifeway 2016, page 55.

Adapted from my post entitled “Genuine Faith: 1 Peter 1:1-12″ originally posted 2-21-17

A “Half Full” View of Suffering: 1 Peter 3:13-22

A friend of mine wears a necklace that has a flat, rectangular charm with a drawing stamped onto it. A simple sketch depicts a drinking glass with a line running horizontally through the middle of it. Beneath the glass are the words “Half Full.”  It’s only a two-word statement, but it communicates volumes about how she views life. Think for a minute.  If you see a glass that has equal amounts of air and water in it, is it half empty or half full?  The way you answer says something about whether you see life through a positive or a negative lens. It’s all a matter of perspective: a glass is simultaneously half full and half empty. It just depends on the viewpoint of the person describing it.

The same holds true with the topic of suffering– our perspective on it can lead us to deep spiritual growth or debilitating self-pity and bitterness. Since suffering is mentioned in every chapter of the book of First Peter, it’s clear God has a few things to say about it:

“Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed…For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.” (1 Peter 3:13, 14a, 17,18, NIV)

So how can we consider ourselves blessed when we experience suffering, especially when it comes as a result of doing what is right?  Scripture gives us some clear answers about its purpose.  And while suffering isn’t an enjoyable thing for anyone, good can result from experiencing it. Here are four reasons you can consider yourself blessed when you suffer:

Refinement: Hebrews 2:10 tells us that Jesus was “made perfect through what he suffered.” Suffering was part of the process He had to endure to bring us to salvation.  So, when He died on the cross, He accomplished one of His primary reasons for coming to earth. In the same way, suffering is a process that accomplishes something in us. Peter explains this in 1 Peter 1:6-7 when he says we suffer trials so that our faith may be proved genuine. Just as fire refines gold and removes the impurities, suffering refines us, causing us to turn toward God when we recognize everything else is worthless by comparison.

Humility: Suffering removes the illusion of control that so many of us cling to unconsciously. No matter how wealthy, powerful, or accomplished we are, no matter how closely we walk with God, no matter how much we may try to avoid it, all of us will experience suffering at different times.  It reminds us that we aren’t in charge, God is. The apostle Paul learned to rejoice in suffering when he realized it kept him from becoming conceited.  After pleading with God to remove an unnamed and ongoing struggle he had, he says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’”

Paul then explains why God’s choice not to end his suffering brings him joy instead of causing him to become angry or bitter: “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10, NIV)

Character: A life of ease may feel good, but it is through suffering that our characters are shaped.  Paul explains the qualities we gain through suffering when he says: “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” (Romans 5:2-5, ESV) Suffering builds our endurance and when we persevere through it, we gain character and hope. These qualities become part of a firm foundation that sustains us through future challenges we’re bound to face.

Comfort: Suffering is a jumping off place for showing the love of God to others. When we lean into the Lord and allow Him to speak into our suffering, He gives us hope, help, and comfort. Seasons of suffering become the times when seeds of faith sprout and grow stronger in us. And when we recognize that our suffering can be used for good, we begin to look beyond ourselves, becoming a conduit for God to impact others. Through us, He blesses people struggling through similar issues: “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.” (1 Corinthians 1:3-4, NIV)

Looking back, I see different times of suffering in my life with a strange sense of fondness. Of course, I didn’t enjoy the difficult things I’ve had to endure, but I see how God used them to reveal Himself to me, to make His Word relevant in my life, and to connect me with others in ways I never would have experienced in good times.  So, while I don’t look forward to future seasons of suffering, I know they will come.  And when they do, I will choose to view them through the “half-full” lens and to look expectantly for how God wants to use them in my life.

If you are in a time of suffering, imagine Jesus is singing to you as you listen to “Brother” by NEEDTOBREATHE. And if you’re on the other side of a season of suffering, consider who you could reach out to with the sentiments in this song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRSLz_KgUsM

*Inspired by Week 7 in 1 Peter: A Living Hope in Christ by Jen Wilkin, Lifeway   Press, 2016.

Genuine Faith: 1 Peter 1:1-12

Vibrating beneath my hands, the power sander spewed a cloud of fine dust as I ran it over the wood. The dresser had an ugly, opaque finish and I was curious to see the quality of the wood hidden beneath it. To my delight, the sanding revealed pure, unblemished maple with a beautiful grain that far exceeded my expectations.

I was reminded of that dresser recently as I read the apostle Peter’s teaching about the way God refines our faith:

 “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” (1 Peter 1:6-7, NLT)

Like using a sander on wood, trials refine our faith. They remove the ugly layers of protection we often put on ourselves over time. The faith was always there, but trials draw it to the forefront of our lives.

Oftentimes when we study a passage like this one, we envision major “life event” sort of trials. A cancer diagnosis. The death of a family member.  The loss of a job. An ugly divorce. A traumatic event that derails plans and dreams.

While those life-altering trials often refine our faith, smaller difficulties can produce the same results, if we let them. A challenging person or situation becomes spiritual sandpaper in the hands of God.

A few years ago my family experienced a relentless chain of hard circumstances that led us to deeper intimacy with Jesus and profound spiritual growth. Ironically, at the center of many uncontrollable difficulties was a situation that we’d brought on ourselves: a home remodel.

With every annoyance we experienced, from doing laundry on our back patio to living without a kitchen for seven months to working with an unreliable contractor, we learned we had a choice. We could wallow in self-pity and bitterness or we could let God refine us through the process.

The Bible makes many references to God as a refiner. Psalm 66:10 states it clearly. “For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.” God uses people and situations to cleanse us from impurities, to perfect us and to make us look more like Jesus in our actions and attitudes. 

In the book of Zechariah God speaks again about refinement. “I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.'” (Zechariah 13:9b)

God revealed many ugly impurities in me that needed to be surrendered to Him throughout our remodel. And, as painful as it was, I chose to let Him do His refining work in me. He uncovered my lack of patience and my craving for control. He taught me to wait and watch for His answers in His timing. Submitting to that process transformed me in ways I never would have expected.

Our struggles and challenges, both large and small, are an amazing opportunity to uncover the faith planted deep within us. As I learned with refinishing my dresser, true beauty shows only after the messy refining process removes the ugly outer layers.

Rather than lamenting the difficult things we must endure, we can rejoice knowing that they are revealing a genuine and lasting faith that is more valuable than anything this world could offer.

Click on the link to enjoy Francesca Battistelli’s song “This is the Stuff.”  It’s a fun song with great encouragement to let God give us perspective when we face trials, both large and small.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H73AyGZvwEA

Inspired by Week 2 in 1 Peter: A Living Hope in Christ, by Jen Wilkin, Lifeway 2015.

 

The Sword of the Spirit- The Armor of God Part 7

I’ve begun to notice a clear difference between the lives of people who are actively engaging God’s Word and people who simply embrace the Christian lifestyle and its values.

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To say I was going through a rough patch would be an understatement. One of my boys was a toddler and the other was in pre-school and although life at home was good, some hard situations outside our household were weighing heavily upon me. Looking back, I see that there was an element of spiritual attack I hadn’t even considered.

I remember one morning in that season I awoke feeling especially burdened with dark thoughts and anguished emotions. Sitting at the breakfast table flanked by one son in a high chair and the other chattering beside me, something triggered a flood of tears. The lump in my throat couldn’t hold back the sobs as I pushed my chair back and abruptly left the kitchen. Throwing myself face down on my bed, I wasn’t even sure why I was crying, but the tears wouldn’t cease.

A tap on my shoulder a few minutes later gently reminded me I had little people to tend to and forced me to gather my emotions. Wiping tears away, I tried to regain my composure as I looked up to find my older son standing in front of me. He held out his Beginners Bible and with wisdom that defied his tender age simply said, “Here Mom, read this. It’ll make you feel better.” I’m still not sure how he knew to bring me a Bible, but I’d been following his advice since long before he was born.

I’ll never forget the first time the words of Scripture jumped off the page, making me feel like a passage had been written just for me. I was a freshman in college, struggling to find true friends and to live by God’s standards. It was not the easiest time in life to decide to follow after Jesus whole-heartedly. The many worldly temptations of college had wooed away the one friend from home I’d depended on for spiritual support. Trying to shine a light for Jesus in the dark was not easy. I felt utterly alone, but undaunted in my desire to pursue Christ without compromise. And then one morning I stumbled across this passage:

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.” (1 Peter 1:6-7, NIV)

Armed with this verse in the face of deep discouragement, I sensed God telling me not to lose my perspective. The trials I was facing were temporary, but if I persevered through them, my faith would prove genuine, which was eternal. Eventually, God also brought me friends who were godly, encouraging, and just plain fun.

Since that time, many more verses have felt especially relevant and personal in different seasons of my life. So much so, that I could make a time line of events in my life with corresponding Scriptures that spoke directly to me with words of wisdom, comfort, and direction. God’s Word has provided truth and light when I’ve been deceived by lies or have lost my way. It’s given me encouragement in times of trouble and hope when I’m tempted to despair.  I guess that makes sense considering Paul lists it as the final piece in the armor of God when he says, “take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”  (Ephesians 10:17, NIV)

The Bible has been my greatest weapon to fend off attacks of the evil one throughout my adult life. And because it is the spoken Word of God, it is always fresh, relevant and personal. “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”  (Hebrews 4:12, NIV).  Scripture is so much more than just words on a page.  When we engage it and apply it to our lives, it changes us.  It changes our attitudes, our desires, our relationships and the things we value.   It is a guide for every aspect of daily living.  It is our solid foundation and the plumb line that keeps us aligned with God’s will.

I’ve begun to notice a clear difference between the lives of people who are actively engaging God’s Word and people who simply embrace the Christian lifestyle and its values.  People who study the Bible consistently and apply what they’ve learned have a passion and a sense of purpose in what they do.  They serve others out of gratitude to God, not as an obligation.  They grapple with hard truths and have teachable spirits.  They are hungry to know more about God and how He’s calling them to live.  They don’t follow rules and checklists–they abide with Jesus and let the Holy Spirit guide them.  Their lives are not safe and predictable.  They trust God when things get messy and complicated.  They have too much integrity to worry about whether or not they are “showing well” or impressing the “right” people. They are profoundly aware that they are sinners only saved by Gods’ grace.  Their resulting gratitude causes them to give their lives for God’s Kingdom purposes.

Putting on the armor of God daily means putting into practice what we say we believe. And when we do that, the enemy doesn’t stand a chance.

I can think of no better song to include than Third Day’s “Your Words.” Click on the link to enjoy a musical reminder of the value of God’s Word:

Priscilla Shirer, The Armor of God, Lifeway Press, 2015.

Building Your Core Strength

“God leads us by unexpected ways, off the strong and solid land.”

-Amy Carmichael

Clenching my toes in the wet sand, I looked up at the grey clouds filtering the early morning sun.  It was the last day of our family vacation and I planned to make the most of it, whether it rained or not.  Stand-up Paddle Surfing had been our family’s favorite activity in the Newport Harbor all week.  The final morning dawned cool and damp after an overnight rainstorm, but the calm bay beckoned me onward.  Other days we’d stood on the beach in gentle afternoon breezes that felt more like fierce headwinds once we paddled out on the bay.  Battling strong currents and choppy water, we’d bent our knees to avoid being toppled by wakes of passing boats. Each day we paddled out, our core muscles became stronger and our legs more steady as we balanced on the constantly moving boards.  I didn’t want to pass up the chance to glide through calm waters on that final day.

To the casual observer, paddle surfing hardly looks like a sport.  Before I tried it, people told me it was a great “core” workout.  Although I’d often been unaware when out on the water, the soreness of my muscles afterward told me they were right. Our “core” is essentially our torso, which Certified Personal Trainer Paige Waehner describes as “the body’s center of power.”  She explains that “these core muscles help keep your body stable and balanced.”  Waehner says that among the benefits of working on the core is having “interesting workouts that challenge you in new and different ways.”

Having a strong physical core significantly impacts our quality of life.  It makes our bodies more durable and less susceptible to injury.  Similarly, having a strong spiritual core affects every part of our daily lives.  The more we lean into God and trust His promises, the stronger our core becomes.  His strength becomes part of the fiber of who we are and is readily available for us at all times.  And just like those physical core workouts, God give us challenges that stretch us in new and different ways.

It takes consistent sweat and effort to build our physical strength, whether it is by intentionally doing core-strengthening workouts or engaging in an activity like paddle surfing where it happens naturally.  Similarly, our spiritual core strengthening can happen in several ways. We can be diligent about studying God’s word, praying, serving, giving and connecting with others who follow Him.  However, sometimes we get a spiritual core-strengthening workout when we least expect it.   In The Shelter of God’s Promises Sheila Walsh says “Life’s greatest trials often come without a moment’s notice.  There is no prep time or convenient moment to book them on our daily calendars.  They brutishly make their way into our lives and threaten to undo us…When we look back, those moments can become milestones and strong pillars of our testimony because we survived on His strength alone” (p. 152).   If our disciplined pursuit of God strengthens our spiritual “muscles”, then the trials we face provide the opportunity to show off God’s strength.

The Bible assures us we are going to have trials, but how we respond to them is our choice. Jesus tells us in John 16:33 “In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.”  If we really believe this, we can be encouraged knowing that God is trustworthy.   He has the big picture in mind for our lives that we can’t always see from our limited perspective.

Looking back, I realize how God has used trials to strengthen my core and to increase my trust in Him.  I didn’t enjoy going through them, but I am thankful for the ways He used them to strengthen me.  Through the things I’ve learned, I have been able to encourage others going through similar difficulties.  I can point to specific scriptures that brought hope and reassurance to me in hard times:  1 Peter 1:6-7 as I struggled through my freshman year in college, Jeremiah 17:7-8 and Psalm 27:13-14 as my husband and I prayed through a major career change for him, Psalm 62 & 63 during some severe illnesses of different family members.  Those passages became a lifeline for me, reassuring me of God’s presence and enabling me to have a supernatural strength I never could have had on my own.

Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling is one of my favorite daily devotionals.  Each day’s writing combines several scriptures and speaks to the reader as if it is directly from the voice of God.  A recent entry caught my eye: “Learn to appreciate difficult days.  Be stimulated by the challenges you encounter along your way.  As you journey through rough terrain with Me, gain confidence from your knowledge that together we can handle anything.  This knowledge is comprised of three parts:  your relationship with Me, promises in the Bible, and past experiences of coping successfully during hard times.” (p.327)

So, when the headwinds blow and I’m struggling against the current, I can bend my knees and dig in my paddle with confidence knowing that God is going to give me strength I need.

What about you?  When has God led you in “unexpected ways off solid land”?  Do you have a few Bible verses that have sustained you through hard times?  As you look back, what milestones reveal God’s strength that you never could have mustered on your own?  Post a comment and share it to encourage and strengthen others!