Our trials train us and are a witness to the world of the power of Jesus Christ in us, that we do not become unhinged when we go through trials while remaining faithful to Christ right through it all.
Trials strengthen us to be able to handle anything that comes our way, a sort of boot camp for training to rule with Christ in the Millennium.
It is easy to be "joyful", happy, and strong when there are no trials, this kind of strength is not strength at all, it is not enduring joy based on Christ Who lives in us.
It is easy to be loving and kind when someone else is loving and kind toward us. Real strength has been achieved when we learn to remain loving and kind in spite of what others may do to harm us.
Ephesians 6:10-11
"10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil."
To be strong we must break down the muscles of our own strength to build back stronger the muscles the Lord provides.
Remember a weight lifter must tear the muscles so that when they heal back they are stronger than before. In order to make them strong he must break them first.
Our own will must be broken and done away with in order for the Lord to work His will in us. Anyone who thinks they will be fine with only their will in control will learn quickly that they cannot obey Christ and do great things without His will His way.
There are far too many people who think it is smart to do our own things our own way as long as we claim it was from God even though they violate the word of God to get a job done for God. God does not accept these humanistic self-willed sacrifices claiming to be for Him. We must stop attempting to think up clever ways to do things for God and instead consult Him for His ways.
Matthew 15:7-9 "…7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you: 8 These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 9 They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ”…"
If someone says they are doing something for God but what they are doing violates the word of God, then they are placing their trust in themselves as though they think they know better than God, that they are more knowledgable than God, they must repent and ask God what He wants and then obey Him. Then after we have asked we need to go tot he Word of God and search it as led by the Holy Spirit to hear from Him.
John 16-12-14 " 13 However, when the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak what He hears, and He will declare to you what is to come. 14 He will glorify Me by taking from what is Mine and disclosing it to you.…"
Whatever we do in obedience to Christ will always glorify God not ourselves or any other person.
