Personal Testimony
While I grew up in a Christian home and accepted the Lord as my Savior at a very early age, I still wrestled with my faith and what it meant to follow Christ. There were things I was exposed to and that happened to me in public school that became stumbling blocks in my walk with the Lord.
I lacked the wisdom and maturity to know how to properly respond in a God-honoring way.
Fast forward to the present. In the past seven years, my family has walked through many trials including two stretches of unemployment, multiple miscarriages, and all of my health issues, to name a few.
But my response to these more recent trials is far different than my response to the trials of my youth.
There are truths that I understand better today that have allowed me to move on from my past and walk with joy through my present sufferings.
First, a study of Scripture taught me that I have a choice in how I respond to the trials I face even when people sin against me. While I can’t undo the evil actions of others, I can choose to respond in a way that honors God. I can also confess my sin when I have responded with my flesh instead of a Christ-like spirit.
I have also come to better understand the sovereignty and love of God. An all-powerful, unloving God would be frightening and an all-loving God that wasn’t sovereign would be useless. But we have a God who not only loves us but is also sovereign over all things.
That means I can trust Him even when faced with the most difficult circumstances.
Along those lines, I also came to realize that the “good” in Romans 8:28 was not a happy, pain free life. Rather, my good was becoming more Christ-like and that is often accomplished through trials.
Finally, I now understand that God never promised a life free from suffering. Actually, Scripture says that we will suffer in this life but that God will walk with us through the trial, and if we trust Him, He will use every single thing we walk through for our good and His glory.
A sinful response to the trials of my youth led me to depression, an eating disorder, and sexual immorality. A right response to my current sufferings has brought me joy and peace.
While my body is wasting away, my spirit is being renewed day by day for this momentary affliction is producing for me an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. To God be the glory!
2 Corinthians 4:16-17
Resources
Below is a list of resources that I have found helpful as I walk through the sufferings and trials of life. I hope you find them to be an encouragement as well.
The links below are affiliate links. I will earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you, if you choose to purchase through one of these links. Read my full disclosure here.
Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
Consider the Lilies: Find Perfect Peace in the Character of God by Jonny Ardavanis
Unmet Expectations: Reshaping Our Thinking in Disappointments, Trials, and Delays by Lisa Hughes
Suffering by Paul David Tripp
Video and Podcast You Might Find Encouraging
In this video, I share about my stroke and how the Lord used Scripture to comfort me through the suffering.
In this episode of the Homeschool Mom Podcast, I offer some encouragement to moms homeschooling with health issues or through other trials.
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