Life is full of challenges. At some point, everyone will experience trials. But how do you find hope in the midst of these trials? What do you do when your faith is tested? Understand that the testing of your faith produces patience. Patience does a “perfect work” in you so that you may be “perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (see James 1:2-4). Wrap your mind around this truth when your faith is tested.
Let’s dive into what this means and how you can discover the hope that endures and overcome trials!
The Trials of Life
Trials can take many forms, including illness, financial difficulties, the loss of a loved one, or relationship problems. While it's never easy to go through difficult times, it's important to remember that God is always with us, even when we're struggling.
Sometimes testing comes not because of what we’ve done wrong but because of what we’re doing right! In trials, we can think something has happened to us because we did something wrong. But this isn’t the case. Jesus is the perfect example of this! He lived a sinless life yet endured a mighty trial–all for a greater purpose!
The Bible tells us that God tests our faith and trials will come, but remember, they have a purpose…
- To test the genuineness of our faith (1 Peter 1:7)
- To remember they are nothing compared to the glory that will be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).
- To comfort others in the future (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).
There are many examples from the Bible of tested faith. When your faith is tested, you can look to God’s Word to know what to do.
- Meditate on truth.
- Trust God as you go through trials.
- Get steps to take when faith is tested.
How God Tests Our Faith
God tests our faith in a variety of ways, and these tests often involve challenges that help us grow and develop spiritually. Here are some common ways God tests our faith:
- Through difficult circumstances: God often allows us to go through difficult circumstances that challenge our faith. These trials can help us grow in our faith and develop perseverance.
- Through temptation: Satan relentlessly tempts us, which tests our faith. But as James 4:7 says, when we surrender to God–trusting Him–and resist the enemy, he has to flee. Resisting temptation requires us to trust in God and rely on His strength.
- Through persecution: Christians around the world face persecution for their faith. This can include discrimination, imprisonment, or even death. Remaining faithful in the face of persecution requires great strength and trust in God.
- Through unanswered prayers: Sometimes God doesn't answer our prayers as we want Him to. Accepting this can be difficult, but it's an opportunity to trust God's plan. Remember, His ways are higher, so if His answer is no, He has good reason.
- Through delayed blessings: Sometimes God’s answer isn’t yes or no, but rather to wait. His timing is perfect. So if He holds back a redemption, healing, or restoration of some kind, it’s usually tied to something He wants you to learn or because He’s preparing you to receive the blessings He will pour out in the future. We must see the benefit of waiting patiently. This can be a test of our faith and our ability to trust in God's timing.
Examples From the Bible of Tested Faith
The Bible is full of stories of people whose faith was tested. Here are a few examples:
- Job:
Job is perhaps one of the most well-known examples of tested faith in the Bible. In the book of Job, we read how Job was a righteous man who loved and served God but was subjected to a series of trials and hardships. He lost his family, wealth, health, and even his friends turned against him.
Despite all this, Job remained faithful to God, even though he didn't understand why he was suffering. In the end, God restored his fortunes and blessed him even more than before. Job's story teaches us that even amid our greatest trials and sufferings, we can still trust God's goodness and faithfulness.
- Abraham:
God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, who was the son of the promise and the hope for the future of his descendants. This was an incredible test of Abraham's faith, as it would mean giving up the very thing that he had been promised by God. However, Abraham was willing to obey God, and he showed his faith in action by taking Isaac up to the mountain to sacrifice him.
In the end, God provided a ram for the sacrifice instead of Isaac, and Abraham's faith was rewarded with a renewed promise from God. Abraham's story teaches us that faith sometimes requires difficult sacrifices but that obedience to God has its reward.
- Peter:
Peter was one of Jesus' closest disciples, but during Jesus' trial, he denied knowing Him three times. This was a test of Peter's faith, as he had previously declared that he would never deny Jesus.
However, after Jesus' resurrection, Peter repented and was restored to his role as a leader in the early church. Peter's story teaches us that even when we fail in our faith, there is always a way back through repentance and forgiveness.
These examples show us that faith is not just a matter of belief but also action and obedience. When your faith is tested, remember how God…
…throughout His Word. God is faithful to those who trust in Him, even in the midst of difficult circumstances.
5 Steps You Can Take When Your Faith Is Being Tested
When our faith is tested, it can be challenging to know what to do. Here are a few steps that can help you find the right path.
- Get into the Word. Make it a habit of getting into the Word every day. Meditate on some of the verses listed below, or find others that are encouraging to you. Write them down on note cards or in a journal, and put them around your home, in your car, or at the office. Get into God’s Word and let it get into you.
- Pray. Prayer is essential when going through trials. It allows us to communicate with God and ask for His help and guidance.
- Seek biblical community. Surrounding yourself with other Christians can provide much-needed support and encouragement during difficult times. Joining a small group or Bible study can help you connect with others who are going through similar struggles.
- Look for opportunities to grow. Instead of focusing on the pain and difficulty of your situation, look for opportunities to grow and develop spiritually. Ask God what He wants you to learn and discover through your trial.
- Practice trusting God: As simple as it sounds, practice trusting God when your faith is tested. Ask the Holy Spirit to change your mind about your situation. Ask Him to show you what it looks like to fully trust Him in a circumstance, then agree with God’s Word about it and trust that God is in control and has a plan for you. Trust that He is using your circumstance for the greater good, even if you can't see it yet.
Meditate on God’s Word to Find Hope in Trials
Here are 7 verses to meditate on when your faith is tested.
- “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.”—James 1:2-3
- “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”—Romans 8:28
- “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we are comforted by God.”—2 Corinthians 1:3-4
- “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.”—Psalm 55:22
- “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”—Proverbs 3:5-6
- “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”—Genesis 50:20
- “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”—Psalm 23:4
Meditating on these verses can help you to remember that God is with you in your trials and will use them for good. It can also remind you to trust God and seek His guidance in all things.
In Summary
When your faith is tested, it's important to remember that God is always with you. He uses difficult circumstances, temptation, persecution, unanswered prayers, and delayed blessings to help you grow and develop spiritually.
God’s Word shows us examples of how faith is tested in various ways, but those who remain faithful find peace, hope, mercy, healing, restoration, and more, above and beyond what they could have expected (see Ephesians 3:20).
To navigate through trials, we can take steps like praying, seeking biblical community, looking for opportunities to grow, and trusting God's plan. Meditating on Bible verses can encourage and remind us to trust in God and seek His guidance in all things.
By trusting in God and seeking His guidance, we can come out stronger on the other side of our trials and use them to encourage and comfort others who may be going through similar struggles.If you're ready to strengthen your faith during trials, check out our free study, “Scars: Navigating Suffering and Loss.” Trials will come, but hope is available to you through Jesus.
