Troubles in life are a challenge to every person. But when you take the time to understand how trouble works, you will discover that troubles are opportunities for great joy.
WHY ARE WE HERE ON EARTH
We are sent to the earth to replicate the nature of God in all that we do and to prepare for eternity. This purpose naturally produces problems for humans because the nature of God and the nature of humans are opposites. Therefore, to enjoy life and live successfully on earth, you need God's knowledge to help you use the natural problems you have encountered, and you will continue to experience them to your advantage.
HOW TO GET THE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED TO USE TROUBLES FOR PERSONAL GROWTH
So then, how do you get this knowledge?
First, you accept that, as humans, you have limited knowledge, but you can acquire unlimited information by going to God, who knows everything and know how things work.
Secondly, you find a Holy Spirit-filled church,
The church, which is the local (earthly body of people who believe in Jesus Christ), is the school for teaching the nature of God. In the church, God is the teacher. The textbook is the Bible. God is the one who sets the test, awards the pass mark, and gives the prize. Each student is responsible to God, who, by the way, is invisible.
Thirdly, learn to use trouble for personal benefit. Since troubles are a part of life, and we will all encounter them severally throughout life, it is beneficial to learn to use troubles. No trouble in life should be able to cause our destruction.
Troubles: What are they, and how can we use them for our benefit?
James 1:2 -4 NLT tells us, "Dear brothers and sisters when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy."
"For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing."
Proverbs 3:26 TPT
"because God is your confidence in times of crisis, keeping your heart at rest in every situation."
What is the trouble?
Troubles are anything that causes you pain or discomfort, difficulty or problems. Anything that bothers you causes worry or that can inconvenience you. Anything that can cause you to be upset or causes anxiety.
Troubles can come in any area of life.
You can have them in family, relationships, carer, health etc.
James 1:2-4 TPT
"My fellow believers, when it seems you are facing difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy you can! You know that when your faith is tested, it stirs up the power of endurance in you. And then, as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until nothing is missing and nothing lacking."
NATURAL AND UNNATURAL TROUBLES
For this article, I will categorise troubles into two groups - Natural and unnatural:
In the first group, natural troubles are unpreventable. Problems happen to everybody, young or old. It has the following characteristics.
1. Natural troubles tend to come unannounced. There is no notice period. It just happens. *1
2. It comes to test your claim to Christianity and whether it is genuine. It will test your faithfulness and commitment to God. *2
3. It comes to prove your love for God as it did with Abraham and Issac. *3
4. Troubles will not last forever. The test period is time-bound. It has a start and finish time. *4
5. You will receive a reward if you pass your test at the end of the process. *5
All natural troubles are tests to grow our endurance in preparation for life's journey. Job is an example. We are reading about him today because of his troubles and how he handled them. How you take troubles is what would either make or break you. Therefore, troubles are not problems but a means for Christlike character, which also opens us up to divine promotion and blessings.
The Bible encourages us that.
"If your faith remains strong, even while surrounded by life's difficulties, you will continue to experience the untold blessings of God! True happiness comes as you pass the test of faith and receive the victorious crown of life promised to every lover of God!"
SOME AREAS OF NATURAL TROUBLES
Marital troubles. 1 Corinthians 7:28 NLT
"But if you do get married, it is not a sin. And if a young woman gets married, it is not a sin. However, those who get married at this time will have troubles, and I am trying to spare you those problems."
The above massage encourages us that marriage has natural troubles within it.
Therefore, married people are encouraged to settle down and find a way to use their marriages' troubles to grow their lives.
In addition, people may encounter natural troubles in their health, occupational hazards, natural disasters, war, accidents, crime etc.
REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES OF HOW PEOPLE HAVE USED TROUBLES FOR THEIR BENEFIT
Example of a real-life story and how I used trouble to my advantage.
When my husband and I married after he lost his wife, I encountered natural trouble. My husband's last child was severely autistic with a learning disability. She was 3yrs old then. It was a complicated situation. After 6months, I was too overwhelmed and decided to divorce. But because I was a Christian, I took my challenges to God and depended on him to help me love and care for the child while looking after her three older siblings.
Today after over two decades, I have used this trouble for my personal growth.
I am more patient, empathetic and helpful. Before marriage, I was not a very patient person. But I was able to learn patience through this challenge. I also realise that everyone is important and have a role to play in society.
The skills I gained through looking after my stepdaughter.
• Advocacy
• Knowledge of social services, education, and community care
• Experienced working with a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experienced with social housing for people with disability.
• Experienced with private care provider management.
• Assertiveness and perseverance, to mention a few.
In addition, I pastor a local church. Right now, my church has some families with special needs children.
The church is a comfortable place for them and their children. People with special needs join the service and get to enjoy themselves.
Everyone in the church has learned to relate to autistic children and adults.
This trouble I encountered in my marriage has now become a huge blessing to my family and our church.
Again, another lady in my church lost her employment. At first, she was in distress and anxious. But as time went on and she could not get another job. One day she decided to become self-employed in the same industry. Today from her self-employed business, she earns way more than she did when working. She used her troubles as a stepping stone to more incredible things and new experiences in life.
BENEFITS OF TROUBLES
Firstly, natural troubles, when they come, help us to grow and develop endurance.
What, then, is endurance?
It is the ability to endure an unpleasant or difficult process or situation without giving way. Something can last or withstand wear and tear.
Wikipedia puts it this way. *6
"Endurance is the ability of an organism to exert itself and remain active for an extended time, as well as its ability to resist, withstand, recover from, and have immunity to trauma, wounds or fatigue.
Why do we need endurance to have immunity to trauma? As you travel the earth, there are many wounds, trauma and fatigues, etc., but perseverance through trials helps you prepare for these inevitable of life."
Secondly, trouble helps you to be perfect and complete, needing nothing. That means you can learn to depend on God for all your needs. You become mature in faith, not relying on human beings but on God alone. Troubles produce endurance and perseverance, which help us deal with these experiences without allowing them to separate us from God. Even if the outcome of a given situation does not conform to a timetable that we might have in mind or directly results in what we might desire, you still don't give up on God.
Thirdly, great joy results from our ability to endure while waiting on God during trials. Because we possess joy, we can then help the people around us when they are going through similar pain or problems and be able to comfort them. We need people who can stand with us during personal trials. People who can relate to what we are going through. Their understanding helps to strengthen us in our times of difficulty.
Fourthly, when we are mature from the experience of troubles, we have the opportunity and privilege to influence the lives of others. The Bible in James encourages us in this manner. *7
"My brothers and sisters, take the prophets as your mentors. They have prophesied in the name of the Lord, and it brought them great sufferings, yet they patiently endured. We honour them as heroes because they remained faithful while enduring great suffering. And you have heard of all that Job went through, and we can now see that the Lord ultimately treated him with wonderful kindness, revealing how tender-hearted he is!"
SEEK OTHER SOURCES OF HELP
In addition to relying on God in times of trials, there is also the value of seeking help and support from family, friends, or professional counsellors. These sources of service and support will make the difference between failure and success. Always get help. Don't deal with challenges alone.
In conclusion, you are encouraged to examine whether your challenges arise from unavoidable natural trouble. If that is the case, please let your response be proactive as you seek to use the current challenges in your life to your advantage.
Please join me again next time in Part 2 as we discuss unnatural troubles and how to avoid them.
Bible and Other References:
*1: Job 1:6,9-12
*2: Luke 22:31
*3: Genesis 22:2, 12
*4: 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
*5: James 1:12
*6: Wikipedia
*7: James 5:10-11 TPT
