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Trials, Difficulties and Impossibilities

Trials, difficulties, and impossibilities are the very experiences which most often provoke a quest for counseling. The prevailing thoughts in the minds of those struggling through uncomfortable times are often inaccurate, as well as painful. Typically, their thinking includes such fallacies as: “This is pointless” and “There is no way out of this.” Well, let’s see what our Wonderful Counselor has to say about this subject in His word.

The Commonplace Nature of Trials

1 Peter 4:12 addresses this area: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.”  It is not unusual for a counseling situation to begin with a statement similar to this: “The strangest thing has happened to me.” Then, a description of the ordeal follows, accompanied by the deep sense of shock and surprise at what is being experienced. This type of thinking is certainly understandable. Nevertheless, we are really not to be surprised when trials occur. It is not a strange thing, when a fiery ordeal comes upon us. We are told here that the unpleasant adventure is for our spiritual testing.

There is a type of trial that is inappropriate and should diminish in our lives, as we grow in the Lord. Verse 15 tells us of this kind “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters.”

Such suffering results from something we are doing wrong, indulging in fleshly living and disobeying the Lord. If we are suffering that way, God desires that we repent of it and look to Him to forgive us and lead us again in His path. This is not the type of suffering we are considering at this time. Rather, we are examining the more perplexing variety, that is, suffering that is related to walking in paths of godliness.

The Benefits of Trials

1 Peter 1:6-7 speaks of godly suffering and indicates some of the spiritual benefits that can result: “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Although we have great cause for rejoicing in the Christian life, we can also face considerable grief as a consequence of the assorted trials that come our way. Yet, such grief is certainly worth the discomfort, because of the spiritual dividends that it may produce. Through the challenging situations of life, our faith can be demonstrated as genuine. When difficulties arise, they provide an opportunity to trust in the Lord. Observers can see that our claim to faith in God is real, not merely religious words. We also are thereby given a chance to see the reality of our own dependency upon the Lord.

Additionally, our faith is refined unto greater purity and reality. In this scripture, God likens faith unto gold, which goes through a refining process. Gold ore is intensely heated, so that the worthless dross might be separated from that which is precious. Similarly, God takes us through circumstantial fires, that true faith in Him might be separated from dependence upon ourselves or others. Ultimately, all of this process climaxes at the return of the Lord Jesus, when He gets all of the honor and glory for what He did in each situation, as we trusted in Him.

James 1:2-4 gives more divine insight on this theme of godly suffering and the benefits that can be derived from them: “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”

When trials come our way, we are to consider it a reason for joy. This does not mean that we are to enjoy suffering. Rather, we are to consider our trials, all of them, as a matter for joy. Such a perspective is an act of faith. The difficulties of life are not enjoyable in themselves. Nevertheless, by faith, we see what God can do with them, and it stirs rejoicing in our hearts.

Notice, it does not say if they come, but when they come. Here we have another indication that trials are a normal part of Christian experience. Also notice, it refers to “various trials”, indicating there is a range of variety that should not surprise us. Now and then, they not only come one right after another, they seem to all come at once. During these periods, we need to know something that is revealed here.

“Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” When times are tough, God wants us to fully rely upon this truth: He can use trials to produce patience in us. If we trust in the Lord in the midst of stretching adversities, He brings spiritual stamina, godly steadfastness, and Christ-like endurance into our character. This is one way that God completes and perfects our lives experientially.

We need to know that the testing of our faith produces endurance. Those seeking counsel and those giving counsel need to know this. The general tendency of a person in a trial is to only seek relief. The typical counsel given to the one who is in the trial is aimed only at getting out of that plight. God can certainly give relief and bring deliverance. However, we do not want to overlook any bigger work of transformation that He may desire to do.

Ordinarily, it is through difficulties that we grow the most. God wants us to grow to be mature and complete, that is, whole in Christ. The wholeness of life that we need is found in Christ. Colossians 2:10 says, “you are complete in Him.” In trials, our flesh is circumcised, while our faith is exercised. In times of difficulty, our human resources are shown as inadequate. Consequently, we must depend upon that which only the Lord can supply. We must draw upon the wholeness that is already ours in Christ.

Psychological Counseling and Trials

This brings up another matter that concerns me about the use of psychological theory in counseling, particularly in so-called Christian counseling. Psychological theory appeals to and builds hope in the flesh, the natural resources of humanity. God, on the other hand, wants to crucify the flesh, showing its spiritual bankruptcy. Psychological theory offers to the flesh an endless supply of ideas and approaches through which man might manage or cope without the necessity of leaning wholly upon the Lord.

In the midst of great testings, God brings a person to another encounter with the cross of discipleship. This lays before an individual the heavenly option of saying no to self and death to self (“Then He said to them all, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me’ ” – Luke 9:23). Hereby, they will be prepared to exercise that life-giving choice to press on to follow Christ, finding all that is needed in Him. The interjection of psychological theory at this point proposes the possibility of a detour around the cross, keeping the self-life intact to try manipulating its way through another challenging moment. May the Lord alert us to these psychological diversions, both in the counsel that we seek, as well as the counsel that we give.

Growing in Faith through Impossibilities

Whether we indulge in carnal psychological diversions or press after the Lord, God at times places radical impossibilities in our path to grow our trust in Him. Even the godly Apostle Paul was not immune to such experiences, as 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 reveals: “For we do not want you to be unaware, brethren, of our affliction which came to us in Asia, that we were burdened excessively, beyond our strength, so that we despaired even of life; indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves, in order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead; who delivered us from so great a peril of death, and will deliver us, He on whom we have set our hope. And He will yet deliver us.”

Notice the terms that indicate the intolerable dimensions of this adversity: “our affliction….burdened excessively…beyond our strength…despaired even of life…the sentence of death within ourselves.”

Affliction speaks of troubles or pressures. Excessive burden shows that the load was too much to bear. Beyond strength tells of having spent all of the energy that was available. Despairing of life suggests that all hope was gone. Internal sentence of death implies a deep depression. This trial had gone beyond extreme difficulty into the realm of total impossibility.

Don’t forget who was writing this testimony: the Apostle Paul. He was undoubtedly the most faithful and fruitful leader in the first century church. Yet, he and his team underwent astounding impossibilities. Certainly, if Paul had to face such times, we will as well. We are not told exactly what happened to him. Most likely, the Lord purposefully kept the details hidden, so that we would all the more apply these truths to our own impossibilities.

Whenever a child of God is walking in the will of God and serving Him faithfully, impossible trials can seem exceedingly pointless. In verse 9, the simple phrase “in order that” reveals that God had some determined purpose for this impossibility. These three words assure us that our seemingly futile trials can head toward a valuable conclusion.

“In order that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.”  We all know that it is desirable to grow in our trust toward God. However, this often requires that we learn more deeply not to trust in ourselves. Therefore, the Lord puts us into extreme situations that purge us of self-dependence, so that we will more quickly and more fully put our trust in Him alone. As we trust in the God who raises the dead, He raises us out of our deadening circumstance, just as He will raise us later from the grave. Encouraged to set our hope on Him daily, we anticipate His on-going delivering work on our behalf.

Conclusion

These faith-developing words from the scriptures can be exceedingly fruitful in most counseling situations. Sometimes we will be the hurting, seeking soul who will benefit from considering them. At other times, those who come to us for a word of counsel from the Lord will benefit from giving attention to these vital issues.

(This article is an excerpt from the new book Trials, Difficulties and Impossibilities, by Bob Hoekstra.)