1.    Why do trials occur in this life? And why does God sends trials? Most of us define trials by our experience whether we are Christians or Non-Christians, everyone understands that both suffers and come to a point of suffering in this life. For most of us in the Philippines, trials are equated to poverty. We endure the afflictions and sicknesses because we see them as part of life. It is natural for most of us…but who could have thought that being rich and wealthy could also be a trial?

2.    For most people they define trial as poverty, they cannot send their children to school, wear decent clothing, eat adequate foods, play toys. Or when sick they could not bring them to the hospital for fear of being turned down. They worry just at the sight of the Meralco man or the Nawasa personnel who would knock on their doors for the bills. For students, they define tests in the schools as trials, some fear examination days because they have not prepared nor understood their lessons well. For most office workers and laborers, trials are synonymous to harsh and oppressive bosses. Most of us would run away when our boss would criticize the quality of our work, check our writing grammar or correct our pronunciation or give us more tasks to do.

3.    Whatever is your trial, everyone who passes in this world had experienced one and many similar to yours. Trial in the shortest definition means test. It is different from temptation in the sense that trials are ultimately sent by God to perfect our character. They may disappoint us, make us bitter or in the end make us better persons. Nonetheless, the good thing with trials is that they perfect us. God is always looking for His Son in us. He is not looking for the Mike, Mila or Grace in you but He is always looking for His Son in you. This is hard to appreciate especially if you are in the midst of troubles but did’t He promised us abundant life? Just more of them. Paul’s prayer is not to escape troubles but become more Christlike which includes the fellowship of sufferings.

4.    Character is required for service. The greater the work of service, the greater the character required from us. Only those who have the character fit for the job will be employed by God for the job. There are many jobs available, the higher one aspires for these jobs, the greater the training required. This is the reason why we have to go to schools in the natural, to make us fit and prepare us for the real world jobs. Now if you want better positions, then a masters degree will required. And if you want the best piece, then be prepared for a more rigorous training which requires a doctorate degree.

5.    It is not fun to be the slave or the lower rank, but we learn everything while being in that position so that the more time we spend there, the wiser we become when promoted. Being in the lower ranks however could mean lesser freedom of choice. We cannot afford to say NO because that would mean INCOMPETENCE and synonymous to getting FIRED. But if you aspire for higher position, then do a doctorate training. Just as in the military a private won’t get promoted as an officer until he finishes training or did an exemplary service such as killing Usama Bin Laden, we don’t get spot promotions unless we have done exemplary service.

6.    Paul likens us to be soldiers in a battle. Every believer is a private in the Lord’s army where He is the Captain of the Host. He leads us in times of battle and every good soldier must endure the hardship of war. In the natural, the more battles an army has fought, the stronger the army becomes. The experience of war, tempers every soldier, solidifies his heart to become a fighter. This is the main reason why the Americans continue to dominate the world in terms of military strength. Likewise the strongest Christians are those exposed to trials, not comfortable living. Jesus said that we are to take our crosses daily (Matt 16:24). That sounds to me as “bear your trials”. It does not mean we have to do it alone, but we need to bear it patiently.

7.    Our afflictions in this life are not meant to destroy us, or make us hopeless. There were times when I wondered about why God needs to send trials in our lives. It was then that He spoke to my heart that trials work perseverance. Anak ang mga pagsubok ay dumadating hindi upang guluhin ang buhay mo kundi palaguhin (grow) at baguhin (change) ka. Ang mga pagsubok ay binibigay ko upang tayo’y maging malakas hindi upang idapa. Ito ang mga tunay na silid-aralan ng buhay. I then realized my previous prayers to God, that I told Him, “Lord I want to be patient like Job.” But what I did not realize with that prayer is that like Job, I would have people around me pray for me or that I would beg people to pray for me instead of me praying for people. Have you been wishing that you rather pray for people instead of others pray for you? Sometimes we get embarrassed by this but all soldiers have to learn to receive aid when they are wounded in the heat of battle. It is not cowardice to receive help when you need it. Our flesh may resist it but we have to surrender it to God.

8.    We have to understand that we face trials whether we will live in a poor country like the Philippines or in a rich country like Germany. We know much about poverty, but likewise, being wealthy has destroyed many who lack character. Their hard-earned money flew to the next guy in town, nilustay sa Baraha, Sugal, Droga, Alak at Babae. Too much wealth and running for money have destroyed many lives. Having too much of wealth, riches and properties but having too little of God wasted the promising lives of many. I wonder if many would like to become a Chavit Singson or an Andal Ampatuan whose proverbial riches and power has destroyed them.

9.    This is the reason why God had to test Joseph before giving him the crown of Egypt. For 13 years, Joseph had worked as a slave, a prison confidant until finally being given the title of Prime Minister of Egypt. Think about that, being an Egyptian slave means wearing almost nothing but undergarment, becoming a commodity that can be easily traded and lost. Moses too had to wait for 40 years being a shepherd of sheeps and goats before being commissioned to lead God’s People out of Egypt. So did Abraham wait for 25 years before Isaac would be born. Faith therefore has a lot to do about waiting, about being patient because “faith and patience inherits the promises of God” (Heb 6:12). Isaiah writes, “whoever believes will not act hastily” (Isaiah 28:16).

10.    Although we may stumble and fall at times, we have to get back on track and keep believing on God. James has this to say about those in trials,

“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. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:2-5

11.    There are four attitudes that we can employ when we face various trials based on the above Scriptures which we can nick name as the COLA attitude. The first attitude to take is to “count it all joy” when we fall into various trials. It does not mean that we have to be happy to be joyful when we fall into sickness, disappointment or some failures. It only means that we count it all joy because this will eventually come to pass. It will pass out or pass away as soon as it came. Our joy comes in knowing that we are undergoing trials because God is allowing these to create character in our lives. The integrity of a product is always put to the test to know if it is durable and perfect.

12.    We are not to be cloistered, protected and kept from trials because Jesus said that “in the world we shall have tribulations” (John 16:33). Paul has to tell his converts that “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). As we face various trials, we may not be happy about what is happening, we may even feel God has abandoned us. But in spite of this, the final product is a refined character that we all desire to have. We all desire to be a blessing like Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Gideon or Job but how many would desire to undergo the same suffering as they had? No one would volunteer, right? So God has handcrafted every trial just fit for you to chip away your roughness.

13.    Just think about children who has never experienced falling or stumbling once, these are the most prone to accidents! God allows trials to come only to strengthen us. Like Job we have to declare, “that after this test, we shall come forth as gold, refined by the fire of afflictions” (Job 23:10, my paraphrase). In Sagada and Bontoc Mt Province, many weavers weave world famous apparel whose undersides are sometimes looking garbled with threads and yarns. But once we look at the other side we see how beautiful these apparels are woven. Likewise, God desires that we see the brighter side of every trial and affliction! He does not want us to focus on the problem but to look at Him! A good attitude determines a better outcome. We may have a garbled personality, confused, impatient and longing for comforts but as we look at the brighter side of life, we see that God longs to see in us His Son. Let us therefore have joy in the midst of trials because He is working with us our salvation.

14.    The second attitude that we need is to have an open mind, to know that this will eventually produce in us faith and patience. Peter writes, “In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at threvelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 1:6-7 NASB). All our trials work for our own good in the long term,

15.    “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

16.    “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).

17.    “And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4).

18.    The main difference between mature and childish people is the length of their patience. When James and John were walking with Jesus to a Samaritan village and they were rejected the two disciples running out of patience interjected, “Lord, do You want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” But He turned and rebuked them, and said, “You do not know what manner of spirit you are of For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.” And they went to another village. (Luke 9:54-56). Only trials and tribulations can help us change and become more patient to others because the same compassion and mercy and grace that we have received when we were comforted by God during our trials we can also use to comfort and give grace to others. Isipin niyo na lang kapag hindi kayo nakaexperience magkasakit or masaktan, kung meron kayong kamaganak or kaibigan na nagopen up sa inyo, wala kayong ma-advice sapagkat di naman talaga niyo alam kung anong pinagdadaanan niya. Hindi kayo tuloy makapagbigay ng payo at karunungan sa inyong kapatid.

19.    The third attitude that we need to apply is to let God do His work, surrender your will. This is the meaning of letting patience have its perfect work, because it brings completion. To be complete means to be perfect, to be conformed to maturity. Just think about if we have remained as babies until now? Wouldn’t it be horrible to think of a 40 year old baby or a fifty year old baby? This is the main reason why whether we like it or not, divorce in marriage happens and surveys tell us that there is no discernible difference between the rate of Christian divorce to that of the Non-Christian. The deterioration of values in the Western culture was a consequence of the lack of maturity of people.

20.    A mature person knows how to sacrifice his self-will, knows how to sacrifice his own happiness for the sake of others, knows how to share and bear the burden of others. Sadly, the “Please Me first” mentality has taken over and corrupted the foundation of the Western culture. Therefore we find 40 and 50 years old people who are babies. Instead of having grown up through the years, they circumvent the process because they did not mix with faith nor believed in what God has promised.

21.    These people are trying to find fix in the wrong places and with the wrong substance. Instead of using their trials to draw closer to God, they run away from Him. Therefore drugs, sex and alcohol becomes an easy fix. Whatever problem we face, be it our children, in laws or our spouses, let us learn to surrender our will and allow God to work in us because He knows the end from the very beginning.

22.    God has to work in us before He can work through us. We have to have His being, His character before we can do His works. God spent twenty-five years working in Abraham before He could give him his promised son. God worked thirteen years in Joseph’s life, putting him into “various testings” before He could put him on the throne of Egypt. He spent eighty years preparing Moses for forty years of service. Our Lord took three years training His disciples, building their character. But God cannot work in us without our consent. There must be a surrendered will. We simply could not argue with God’s will, we can only receive it and do it.
23.    The fourth attitude to take during trials is to ask God in prayer. Let us not hesitate to ask God for what we lack. Wisdom is the ability to put knowledge to work. One can be a brilliant Bible professor, intellectually sound but may still falter and could not make the simplest decisions in life. Questions like are we to go home together, or shall we stay abroad and rake money around and send them home? Or to make it simpler, when we are under pressure having encountered various trials, such as sickness, poverty or ministry pressures, it is best to consult with God and apply what you know on the situation. For instance when our children stops going to school in spite of providing them everything they need from school bags, tuition fees, books, laptops and clothes, maybe its time to spend more time together, prod them why they stop going to school and see what we can do.

24.    If in times of long term illness and you have work to do, it could be time to hire a nurse, and let him watch out for your sick father if you cannot do it alone. Our trials and sufferings in this life can be made easier if we have the wisdom to address an issue. We should not only cry out to God to release our burdens but also to cry out for wisdom because it is wisdom that will help us through. The early Church for example had the wisdom to pray and offer continual prayer to God when Peter was imprisoned by Herod with the view of killing him just like he killed James the brother of John. Had the church forgotten to pray for Peter, the outcome of Peter’s arrest could have been similar with James and Stephen. We should resolve that once we are in the heat of trials, we will come out better and closer with God.

25.    Just as every Father would embrace their child who stumbles over a pavement or a small stone, our Heavenly Father desires to embrace us and to talk to us even in the midst of trials. Asking leads us to pray and prayer leads us closer to God’s throne of grace. Therefore we should pray in the midst of all troubles to quiet down the rumbling noises in our hearts, to stop the rage and to share the burden to our Papa God. Again let us remember that God desires maturity in our trials and that maturity is equated with a closer fellowship with the Lord. In the past days, Amber had been trying to memorize the song Still, and I find it relevant to quote that like little children safe in their father’s arms, we too are safe in God’s care, “When the ocean rise and thunders roar I will soar with you above the storm, Father you are King over the flood, I will be still and know you are God.”