Trials, Trouble, and Tests

We all have them: trials, troubles, and tests in life. My husband, Tim, says, “You are either going into a trial, in the middle of one, or coming out of one.” So, what are the differences, if any, between trials, troubles, and tests? In the book of James, NLT 1:2-4 “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.” In the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance, we find the word troubles linked with temptation, trial, and testing. The Greek word Peirasmos #3986, which is also linked to calamity and affliction. Especially in James 1:2 “Adversity, affliction, trouble (our trial) sent by God and serving to test or prove one’s faith, holiness, character.” So, in the case of James 1:2-4, these are brought on to test our faith. Just like muscles, if not used, they become weak and useless. Likewise, we will be tested so we can use our faith, which causes it to grow stronger. These “tests” give us the opportunity, as James puts it, for our endurance to grow. This endurance, when fully developed, causes us to be complete.

This process is not instant

 It grows over time and with much testing. James 1:12 NLT tells us that God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Now temptation is brought out by our desires and never from God. Jesus said about troubles in Matthew 6:34, NLT: “So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” Showing us that troubles are an everyday occurrence, which allows us to stretch and exercise our faith. Romans 5:3-5 NLT, “We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. This hope will not lead to disappointment, for we know how dearly God loves us.

The advantage of Christians with troubles

Everyone has troubles, yet with Christians, we do not face them alone. We find words of encouragement in 1 Peter 1:6-7 NLT, “So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold, though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So, when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.”

Why is this happening to me?

1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT answers this question we have all uttered in despair. “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad for these trials make you partners with Christ in His suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world.” Remember that the world hated Jesus, who is perfect, and Jesus said the world will hate us too because of Him.  So then some of the troubles will be brought on by the world around us because we do not fit in with their mindset. Some of the troubles, like Job, are there to test our true intentions with Christ in our lives.

Burning away the dross, purifying the soul:

 Malachi 3:1-3 NLT talks of a time in the future when the LORD will suddenly come into His temple. The question is asked, “Who will be able to endure His coming? Who will be able to stand and face Him when He appears?” The answer is also the answer to why all the trials. Verse 2 tells us, “For He will be like a blazing fire that refines metal, or like a strong soap that bleaches clothes. He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify and refine them like gold and silver.” It is for the results that these tests do for our soul. The troubles, tests, and trials will burn away the dross if we respond to them in the right way. When we are taunted because we would not do as everybody else does, because we are a child of God, how do we respond? When we are passed over for a raise because we would not be a “team player,” which was asking you to go against the teaching of God, how do we respond? You see, these tests will cause the dross of our flesh to rise to the top, allowing the refiner to skim it off. As the refiner of our souls sits before the fire, enduring the heat with us, He watches for the exact moment we have become pure in that area, because if left on the fire a moment longer will ruin the silver altogether. When asked how the refiner knows the exact time to remove the silver from the fire, He responds, “That’s easy, it is when I can see myself in it.”

Beloved, the very word we live as Christians means to be Christ-like. So we must ask ourselves who we see in the mirror. I am compelled to utter the same words John the Baptist said while looking at Jesus in John 3:30 HSCB, “He must increase, but I must decrease."