Trials Of Life - A Blessing

Trials of Life – a Blessing

Over the last few days I was frustrated over many things due to various reasons on all fronts especially on the ministerial end because the genuine people do not go any far but those false prophets and those who take people on a magic spell get the popularity. Looking at all these and then trying hard to get few people to get involved in ministry has been a hazard, with this kind of frame of mind I began this sermon and the Lord surely did put in some amazing facts through His word and that is what I intend to share and I have titled my message this morning as ‘Trials of Life – a Blessing.’

A normal simple dictionary portrays trials as test, experiment, check, tryout, testing or assessment. But I like this word ‘trial’ more than anything since this is one word that we come across in life many times. Remember if you go to a shopping mall – a garment show room you are sure to see this place called the ‘trial room.’ Let me draw some insight into this idea of trial room, in a trial room we are allowed to take only three clothes at a time and we try them till we find it fitting us comfortably if not we pick up some more and try till we get it right. I am sure in a trial for clothes we make a choice of the clothes and we never mind changing as many time as possible. If we try to put the same idea into the trials of life how pleasant it could be because God allows these trials till we fit ourselves perfectly into his plans of perfection that is why I want to call ‘trial’ - a blessing. James 1:12 “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” The bible calls trials as a blessing only for those who love him then for those who do not love God trials are surely a burden, let me come back to that towards the conclusion but now let me take you through 3 important purposes of why we need to go through trials in life.

But before getting the purposes of trials let me read for you the scripture portion in 1 Peter 4:12-16 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. Trials are a blessing because…

1. Trials Refresh:

1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.

Almost all of us when we start our personal computer and the desk top opens up we usually as a normal custom right click the mouse and use the option of refresh, have you ever wondered why you do that? Not a serious thought to it but as a default we do it. Even when we work on the net and the page does not open up we use the refresh option and it works well. Imagine in a similar manner the trials of life are indeed a refreshing phenomena, a good example would be the life of Peter the apostle of Christ. He had trials that are thoroughly abnormal, a man who enjoyed the company of the Lord ever since the first miracle of his life of having huge catch never had troubles until one day the Lord told him that he will deny, three times before the cock could crow. Also the Lord told him when you turn back - strengthen your brothers and not only that he even told him that he had prayed for him concerning the same. Peter did not understand the intensity of the trial he had to go through but his trail gave him a refreshing experience since we read in Acts 12 that Peter was supposed to be executed the next day but he was fast asleep between two soldiers guarding him, there was not even an ounce of fear over the issue because his previous trials had refreshed. Do not worry if you are going through trials it is only a matter of refreshing.