A Mark of Maturity - Faith in Trials

There's so much going on in the lives of other people - people we know who are going through trials and pain.  A couple adopted triplets and one passed away....the other two fighting to survive, surrounded by loving and caring parents, family, and hospital staff.  A two month old baby diagnosed with leukemia, beginning treatments today.  A middle-aged former-coach of mine having a heart attack and in critical condition.

It's easy to get down about these trials, even if they are not in our lives, but in the lives of others. It's easy to begin to think that everything is bad, and that there's nothing good...that it's all pain, but no joy. But, you don't have to look very far to see good.  People helping people by giving financially to help others in a time of need, people preparing meals to hungry teenagers or for a basketball tournament hospitality room, people helping clean up a basketball gym so that the cleaning personnel doesn't have to do it alone, or with only a couple of helpers.  There is good all around, despite the sadness and heartache.

As a Christian, one of the key marks of maturity is found in the trials of life.  When we are able to see beyond the pain of a situation, and keep focused on our strong faith in God, even when we may be hurting inside, that is when we will know that our faith is mature - or at least maturing.  When we may want to fall apart, we don't, because we are clinging to The One who can make us strong and help us cope.  We can do nothing on our own, but we have power in Him.  Our trials come to prove our genuine faith.  It comes so that we will give praise, glory and honor to Him.  If we 'fall apart', we're not showing our faith in God to a lost world, and we're not proving to Him that we believe He will do what He says He will do.  We have to learn to say, "The LORD is my strength.  My heart trusts in him, and I am helped."

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 1 Peter 1:6-7

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Psalm 46:1

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.  The LORD is the strength of his people, a fortress of salvation for his anointed one.

Psalm 28:7-8