By: Julia Arnold
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
Romans 8:28
Since January 2024, I have experienced the following like a tidal wave that hasn’t seemed to stop:
Slander and heartbreak in a friendship
Trials in ministry
Challenges in leadership
Attack on marriage relationship
Death of a childhood friend
Legal issues at my job
Health issues
Financial strain
Two hurricanes in two weeks
Seeing devastation in my hometown
2024 has been a year in the making, not just for me, but for everyone. Even this past October, Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton impacted everyone in the greater Tampa Bay Area (and beyond) in some way or another. Whether yourself, a loved one or a coworker, we all know someone that experienced unexpected devastation, financial burdens, losing a home or memories wiped away in flood waters. The evidence remains at the forefront as you drive down roads and see massive heaps of people’s homes and belongings piled on the sidewalks, closed city parks and expanded trash dumps.
When going through trials and difficult times in my life story, I can often focus on my performance through the trials. “Am I joyful?” or “Am I persevering well?” It can be exhausting trying to perform through a life-altering event. However, I feel the only way I can get to these attitudes (or overflows) is if I keep my focus on why they are happening in the first place. As a believer, I know that the enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy—but if I focus on the enemy, it gives him too much power over my situation. I will feel like a superhero who is constantly being tested by the villian. And yes, while I do believe spiritual warfare is REAL and the enemy is constantly lurking, it can be a bit exhausting to feel like it’s never going to stop. The storyline of the superhero constantly battling with the villain makes me want to just go to sleep. It makes the villain feel like he is the one writing the story. “How can he get Julia today? Tune in at 5:00 p.m. to watch!”
James 1:2-3 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” I want to present this verse to you in the context of the words James selected with their translated meanings. “You know that the proving of your faith in God, which Jesus Christ is the author of (a person who creates a written work), produces the quality of being faithful and dependable.” Instead of looking at the battles in my life from a position of defense, constantly in opposition of the enemy, what if I changed the narrative and thought of Jesus, the Author who wrote this storyline specifically for me to prove my faith and show me dependable, faithful and constant to His mission? How differently would I go through a difficult time if I visualized Jesus Christ sitting there writing the details? This can be hard to accept, because why would Jesus allow “bad” things to happen to me? Doesn’t He want good things for His children? Well, we could go into an entire study of Job and wrestle through it, but if Jesus is hand-writing my story specifically for me and is sovereign over every little detail, do I trust what He is doing? Do I trust His promises?
God’s Word is full of promises for our lives. His Word tells us that we are victorious in Christ (John 16:33, 1 John 5:4-5, 1 Corinthians 15:57). Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” I can know that God has promised me victory. It might not go according to how I think it should, but I am not the writer—God is. I know His ways are higher than my own, and with that, do I trust Him? And more importantly, can He trust me? James says that the purpose of trials is to “prove our faith in God” no matter how the story is written. It’s easy to trust God when things are going well, when we have an easy, happy life with comforts and consistency. But you don’t really know how something will hold up until it is tested, until it is proven. Is my trust/faith in myself, or in surrender to God?
The point and purpose of the suffering and difficulties is found in the product: perseverance, which translated in Greek means “steadfastness,” “constancy” and “endurance.” I want to point out there are three definitions of this word, and the one used in James 1:2 does not include “patiently enduring” like the other two translations used elsewhere. I feel comforted knowing that God does not expect me to be patiently enduring when going through these trials, but He does desire me to be faithful and dependable. See, God not only wants me to trust Him, but He wants to be able to trust me as well.
Instead of evaluating the performance of your suffering, ask yourself, “Can God trust me with this suffering? Can I suffer in a way that allows me to grow in my faith in Him because I know that He is in control of my story?” If I have the mindset that this isn't happening to me but because God orchestrated it to level up my faith in Him, then the way I react would probably be more level-headed, calm and hopeful when the trials come.
As for the rest of 2024…I am not going to lie—I am tired. It’s been a year of battle after battle, but I can’t deny Him when I have seen what the Lord has done: how He weaves my story with how He is working and moving in my life and the lives of others around me, with victories in my marriage, family, friendships, community, church and health. The trials have presented opportunities to prove my faith. Instead of focusing on the battles, I am going to focus on my character development, and I trust the Author who is writing my story. I can believe His Word. He has told me how my story will end: with victory in Him. Because of that, I can face whatever comes my way, and whatever He writes into my story.