Finding Wisdom In Life's Trials

Introduction

All of us face difficult times in life. There is no one living who will be immune to difficulty. Stop for a moment before you read the rest of this blog post. I want you to think back to a difficulty that you have faced. It doesn't matter what it was. It may have been something that happened 20 years ago, or something that happened last week. The important thing is that we think about something that stretched our faith. It may seem weird for me to ask you to think of something like this, but stick with me.

Whatever may be in your mind as a result of my question, there is something that you need to know: Your difficulty was not wasted. We tend to think of difficulties, trials, and temptations as things that we should not have to deal with. But what if God has a purpose behind every difficulty that we face? What if our difficulties are actually intended to make us stronger in our faith? What if God may actually do something good in our lives or in the lives of others because of the difficulties that we face? If this seems strange to you, then you are not alone. This would have likely sounded strange to the first century church. However, James, the half-brother of Jesus, addresses this topic in particular. In James 1:2-3, we are told to "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." Most of us find it difficult to be happy and/or joyful about the difficulties that we face in life. After all, who wants problems?

While this statement from James may seem weird to us, it actually makes quite a bit of sense. Let me use an example that may help us see why. When my wife and I went on our honeymoon to Jamaica, we took a tour that passed by the boyhood home of Ussain Bolt, known as the fastest man in the world. The tour guide was so proud of Ussain Bolt (and who wouldn't be?) and spent much of the time talking about him and his accomplishments. Our guide told us about how, when Ussain Bolt was younger, he mostly ran to school. He also ran after school. He also ran while in school. No matter where he was or what he was doing, Ussain Bolt never stopped running. He simply didn't make it an option. In running so often, he actually trained himself so that, by the time he reached the Olympics, he was primed to take home the gold. His constant running helped him to develop an unmatched perseverance that the world ultimately witnessed during his Olympic feats.

Perhaps Ussain Bolt understood something that many didn't. Perhaps Ussain Bolt understood that, if we take the easy route and experience no real resistance, we rarely grow into who we are called to be. In the same way that Ussain Bolt's perseverance trained his muscles, so also our perseverance in the middle of the trials we face trains our spiritual muscles. Also, in the same way that we don't get the benefit of training our physical muscles if we quit early in our workout, so also we don't get the benefit of training our spiritual muscles if we quit early on in our trials. We have to persevere in order to see the benefits of enduring.

So what can we do to help us persevere through the trials we face? Let's look at what James has to say. He goes on in verse 5 to write "If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you." If you are facing a trial, the best thing you can do is to seek the wisdom that God wants to give you. How do we do that? There are at least three things that come to mind. 

Dive Into Scripture

If you are looking for God's wisdom, the best place to start is with Scripture itself. Perhaps one of the greatest reasons that we seem to lack so much of God's wisdom today is because so many do not make the regular reading of Scripture a part of their daily routine. A commitment to read through the Bible in one year is attainable, and only requires 15-20 minutes per day for the average person. Yet it seems as though many people who want wisdom end up looking in all the wrong places: social media, influencers, political leaders, and the like. The reality is that, while these individuals may be correct from time to time, they are only correct in the same way that a broken clock is correct twice each day. If we want to gain true wisdom, we need to look to Scripture. If we can take 15-20 minutes away from social media scrolling each day, and instead spend that time seeking God's wisdom for our lives, we would be surprised at how this simple adjustment affects our lives, especially when we are facing difficulties or trials. It should also be noted that the goal is to study Scripture, not merely read the words. We want to come to understand the text by studying it carefully and avoiding common mistakes in the way we understand the text. A proper study method is important if we want to understand what Scripture teaches.

Wisdom does no good unless it is put into practice, however. It does us no good to read Scripture, or even to understand it, and ignore what it says. The wisdom that we find in Scripture is to guide not only what we believe, but also how we live. We are called to let it not only define what we, as Christians, believe, but also how we live. When we refuse to live the faith that we profess, we miss out on the benefits that only come when we live what we believe. When we fail to apply the wisdom of Scripture to our lives, we may find that we have quite a bit in common with the "fool" that is mentioned throughout the book of Proverbs. Seek God's wisdom. Study Scripture. Apply it to your life, and let it change your life and provide strength in the difficult seasons of life.

Spend Time In Prayer

If you have not already done so, I would like to encourage you to develop a regular prayer habit. Prayer is simply a conversation between you and God. It is more than simply presenting a list of desires to God, as if God were some kind of cosmic genie. Prayer involves humbling ourselves, realizing that we cannot handle everything in life by our own strength, and recognizing that we need God's help to make it through each day, and especially to make it through the difficult times.

Set aside a certain time of the day to spend in prayer. This may also be part of the time that you set aside to study Scripture. As you pray, ask God for the wisdom that you need to overcome whatever trial you may be facing. Sometimes the wisdom that you are given is simply not to neglect time in prayer! For example, I have personally found that I deal with anxiety less when I spend more time in prayer. Whatever trial you are facing, be sure not to neglect prayer.

Connect With A Good, Christian Community

When you face trials, it is best not to face them alone. Sometimes God provides wisdom through the company of other Christians. Sometimes, God works through a Christian community to bring comfort, peace, or hope to those who are facing a difficult time in life. The church was intended to be a community where members cared for one another, especially during the difficult times. A good church community can help by providing a network of support and care during difficulties.

The Christian community can also provide much-needed wisdom during the most difficult seasons of life. Many times, people in a church community have gone through the same kind of difficulty that you may be facing right now. The wisdom that these individuals can provide can be vitally important to helping you during the most difficult times in your life.

It is more difficult to walk the Christian walk without someone to walk with you. This is why community is so important. God may use others within a Christian community to help you through the trials that you face. This should be a community that you can meet with and talk to on a regular basis. As helpful as it may be in some situations (such as in the case of the sick or shut-ins), simply being connected to a Christian community via a Sunday livestream doesn't help as much as real-world connection does. The Christian community that you are connected to should be a community that you are willing to open up to, as well as one you are willing to let open up to you. If you do not have such a community, I would like to help you find one. At the end of the day, as Christians, we need one another.

Conclusion

To recap: Your trials are not wasted. They are intended to help you build endurance in the Christian faith. Keep studying Scripture and praying. In addition, if you are not already connected to a Christian community, connect with one near you that can help you through your trials. If you don't have such a community, we would like to help you connect to one. You can click the Find A Church link on the left-side navigation bar to find a church near you, or connect with us personally using the Follow Jesus link on the navigation bar, or the orange button at the end of this article. We want to help you find a Christian community that cares.

One final thought: Perhaps true joy isn't about avoiding problems. Perhaps true joy is knowing Who is in the boat with us in the middle of the storms that we face. Perhaps true joy doesn't come from an absence of problems, but from the understanding that God still cares and is still good, even in the middle of the storms that we face. When we understand this, it provides us with a strength that enables us to endure even the hardest seasons of life.

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