What is the purpose of trials in our lives?
1 Peter 4:12-14
We shouldn’t expect the Christian life to be easy and comfortable, because believers aren’t exempt from trials. In fact, becoming a Christian may result in increased trouble and suffering. Peter refers to such hardship as a “fiery ordeal,” and tells us not to be surprised by it (1 Peter 4:12). God uses our suffering for His good purposes, and He walks through it with us. Hope in the midst of affliction is possible when we understand what God is achieving in the situation.
The purpose of the trials in our lives is to strengthen our faith to God and to ourselves. Each and everyone of us is not exempted with trials. We all will experience it, and we all can surpass everything if we have God as always. So whenever you encounter any trials, just simply say “I’m ready Lord, coz I know you are with me in this journey”.
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@theenaocay The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children, and He “works all things together for good” for us (Romans 8:28). So that must mean that the trials He allows in our lives are part of the working together of all things for good. Therefore, for the believer, all trials must have a divine purpose.
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We shouldn’t expect the Christian life to be easy and comfortable, because believers aren’t exempt from trials. In fact, becoming a Christian may result in increased trouble and suffering. Peter refers to such hardship as a “fiery ordeal,” and tells us not to be surprised by it (1 Peter 4:12). God uses our suffering for His good purposes, and He walks through it with us. Hope in the midst of affliction is possible when we understand what God is achieving in the situation.
First, the heavenly Father sometimes uses painful experiences to purify us. Trials drive us to the Lord and open our eyes to sins that we have tolerated. His discipline is not designed to crush us but to produce “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Heb. 12:11).
Second, the Lord at times allows difficulty as a way of testing us. His goal is to produce increased faith, endurance, and devotion to Him. Rather than complaining, we should exult in our tribulations, knowing that they are producing proven character within us (Rom. 5:3-4).
Third, God uses suffering to display his power. Trials humble us by revealing our weaknesses (2 Corinthians 12:7-10). They teach us to depend on the Lord for the power to persevere and mature.
Fourth, our suffering has eternal benefits. Earthly affliction “is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Other members already provided great answers from the scriptures about the purpose of trials that we experience in our lives.
Let me add to the previous answers what James provided.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4
In these verses, tells us what should be our attitude with regards to trials that we experience, we have to count it with all joy.
He then provided the purpose and that is it produces steadfastness.
In verse four, he then stated the effect of having a steadfast faith.
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