Challenges, trials, and heartaches in life are unavoidable whether you are a disciple of Jesus Christ or a nonbeliever. We will all deal with the realities of the laws of nature, natural disasters, the evil other people choose to do, and the difficult natural consequences we face because of our own actions and choices.
A true believer who has submitted his life to Christ understands that Jesus can show us valuable truths, revelations, and lessons about ourselves and the maturity of our faith. He can teach us how to overcome our challenges with his love and power in us. The first truth disciples of Jesus need to know is; God doesn’t cause bad or evil things to happen.
Bad things happen because we are living in a sinful world in our imperfect human condition. God may allow things to happen for His bigger purpose, but He doesn’t cause bad or evil. There is no way for our minds to grasp God’s ways and plans. We know this when you look at God’s plan to send Jesus to save us, even when He knew His son would be crucified.
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord.
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV
Jesus Shows Us How to Overcome
We know God loves his son, Jesus Christ. So why did he let Jesus suffer and go through so many hardships? Jesus surrendered everything to God as he chose to be crucified for all the sins of every person ever born in the past, present, or future. Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer. He showed us his love is so great that he believed each one of us was worth dying for.
Jesus shows us how to thrive in God’s love, blessings, and power as he walked on earth. He showed us how to trust God’s word to know His truth. We have access to Christ’s wisdom and power to overcome any temptation or challenge as we remain faithful to God. Jesus also showed us how our imperfect bodies are not our forever bodies because we will spend eternity with him.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 NIV
When we are disciples of Jesus and the children of God, we are assured we will spend eternity with them no matter how our mortal life ends on earth. Christ’s promise of Salvation is the foundation of our faith to trust in him instead of in our imperfect human condition.
Trusting the Lord:
As Jesus faced temptations, heartaches, and challenges, he showed how walking close to God and asking Him for direction first empowered him to overcome. Jesus also showed us that we must know God’s word and speak it to overcome our flesh desires and temptations, to uncover and eliminate the lies of the devil, and to be God’s light and hope in the world.
Our faith is not trusting in ourselves. Our faith is trusting in our Creator, God, and our Savior, Jesus. As we trust Jesus and walk hand-in-hand with him in a growing personal relationship, he will transform us into his likeness as we share his love and good news with the world. Because we will all face challenges, we must decide if we’re going to try to face them on our own, or if we’ll trust Jesus to guide us as we learn how to live in him.
Each trial is an opportunity to re-examine your faith and trust that God knows and does what’s best for everyone. When we face the hardest moments in life, we painfully realize that we are never in control. That’s the moment to surrender yourself to the will of God and to trust Jesus with your mind, heart, spirit, and life!
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8 NIV
Living in Trust and Faith:
When you look at the end of Christ’s life, he understood the weaknesses of his believers, and yet, he chose to sacrifice himself for their sins to be our Savior. As you face your hardships, you must choose if you are going to trust Jesus and act in his exceptional love or will you become bitter, angry, resentful, vindictive, sinful, and follow the evil one? To be a true disciple of Jesus Christ is to live in a progressive personal relationship with him and allow him to help you sound and act like him. Jesus tells us how people will know you are his disciple in the following verse.
“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35 NIV
Darla Colinet is a Christian Domestic Abuse and relationship expert in Fort Collins, Colorado. She empowers Christian women by helping them overcome the emotional and physical impacts of abusive relationships. She uses her inspirational journey of triumph in Christ to bring the hope, love, and healing of Christ into the lives. Get in touch now and learn more about her personal story and Christian coaching services available.
