How can God make you stronger through the struggle? No one enjoys going through difficult seasons. Whether you’re facing a health challenge, a broken relationship, financial pressure, or simply feeling overwhelmed by life’s circumstances, challenges can leave you wondering what God is doing.
In the Bible, the book of James offers an unexpected perspective:
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” – James 1:2
Okay, that seems to say the opposite of how we feel when life throws us those curveballs that knock us down. Bare with me and be encouraged. When we take a look at the next verses, it tells us the reason we can have great joy during the hard seasons:
“For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” – James 1:3
This verse gives us a couple certainties.
Our Faith Will Be Tested
That’s not a maybe. It will happen, multiple times in our lives. The problem is, we try to convince ourselves that there are things we can do to prevent these unexpected challenges from happening. Each time, we’re left disappointed. We need to be reminded that when we’re challenged, something happens – “your endurance has a chance to grow”.
I remember when I was young, and I would have pain in my shins every now and then. My mom would say it was growing pains and the pain would go away. That didn’t help me feel better, but it turns out she was right.
Growing Hurts
I’m also reminded of when my kids were babies and their teeth would grow in. They were not happy during that time. Very little would console them through that pain. I’m sure it seemed like that feeling would never end. But once those teeth had finally grown in, a whole new world was opened up for those babies. New foods and flavors galore! Our next verse reveals something wonderful:
“So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” – James 1:4
God Doesn’t Leave Us In Our Pain
Now that we know we will have challenges, it doesn’t make them less painful, but God’s promise gives us hope. The pain is the vehicle for the growth. God always has something great for us on the other side of the challenge. Focus on that promise!
You don’t have to go through the pain alone, in fact you shouldn’t! We have people who are committed to praying for you and with you during your challenging times!