Trials can...
- Destroy us
- weaken us
- leave us desperate and alone
- leave us feeling sorry for ourselves
- seclude us
- depress us
OR
Trials can...
- refine us
- strengthen us
- break us of our selfishness
- help us look to others
- make us able to seek those to support us
- lift us up to the only who has the strength to carry us
It is not fun to go through trials. (We have had our share lately!) It is what we do with our trials that leads to what the outcome will be. We can sit and pout and complain to God (believe me, I have done that!) or we can continually remind ourselves what the bible says and know that it IS truth!
When we are truly desperate, we hopefully will learn what God is trying to teach us...we CANNOT do ANYTHING without Him! When we give all of our brokenness to Him and surrender it and lay it at His feet, He can then pick up the pieces and do what He desires. I did this but it was after MUCH kicking and screaming! I would like to say that I have taken everything in stride and just watched with a trusting heart, everything unfold. Not so! I had some pity parties and times of just plain UGLY moments of flesh! I have reacted in ways to my children and husband that I am not proud of! I had to come to a place that I knew my own idea's were NOT working! I finally came to the point that all of my resources were totally gone! I had no more answers and I was weary of doing it on my own. I have always desired to be a living sacrifice and I really began praying that months ago. Little did I know that the path to that would mean giving it ALL up to Him! I thought I was okay with that! But little by little, God began to show me of my pride and selfishness and weed out the things that were getting in the way of a true living-sacrifice to Him. Painful, yes! However, I am free now! Brokenness and surrender led me to a place of humility and exposure. I can say that there is NOT one thing in my life that I care if it is exposed! To God or to anyone! I have nothing more to hide, nothing to defend, nothing to do but give my life to Him. He has taken it all! Does that mean I am perfect and the refining process won't continue? Absolutely not! But I am determined through Christ, that I will be broken before Him and continue to see His face and heart.
Christ died for us! He took ALL of our sin and brokenness and hung it on the cross! It is not for us to carry! He never intends for us to. It is our choice what we do with the trials that surround us. Allow Him to carry it or try to carry it ourselves. I have done both! I give you my word, it is best to give it to Him to carry! Try it, you won't be let down! Rest in Him and He will carry you!
Psalm 73:28
But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.
Philippians 1:6
being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
