The Gift of Growth
3 Steps On How to “Grow Through“What You Are Going Through
We all experience challenging seasons in our life. No one plans for these seasons, and they often come without warning. These seasons can cause an uproar of emotions; they can be painful and exhausting and take a toll on our faith. Although these seasons are not what we would consider ideal, they always have a purpose.
We are encouraged in James to consider our trials a gift. I truly never understood how this could be possible. When I first read this verse, I felt that it was counterintuitive. I mean, in what world would anyone consider hardship in any form a gift? It took further digging into what the Bible tells us in James 1:2-4 to truly understand what he meant. He states, “My Christian friends, remember to be happy, even when many kinds of trouble happen to you. Troubles can help you. God wants to see if you really trust him. Your faith in God will become stronger as a result of these troubles. So you should continue to trust God all the time. Then, you will become stronger as a believer. You will become completely how you should be. You will not need anything more.” See, God desires immovable faith, He desires our trust through all things. It is easy to trust Him when things are going well, but what about when we are challenged spiritually? The word trial simply means test! We all know from experience that tests are meant to challenge, to see how something will hold up, and sustain under pressure. In the same way, God allows seasons of trial (tests) to exercise our faith in Him and to produce a gift that He can only give. The gift is growth!
God is telling us that we are to see our trials as an opportunity not only to grow our faith but also to mature in whatever area God is dealing with us in. God's growth requires pruning and time, so we are encouraged not to try to wish away our trials or get out of them prematurely so that we can fully receive what God has on the other side of them. So, how do we grow through these challenging seasons?
3 steps to encourage growth through seasons of trials:
Ask God for Clarity. The Bible encourages us to ask God for wisdom in confidence and tells us that He is ready to give it. Be direct with God and ask for clarity on what He is trying to teach you in this season. Is it patience, trust, to slow down, to do more with your talents, gratitude, or contentment? God is a generous God and tells us in “Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask, and you will receive, seek, and you will find, knock and the door will be opened to you.” God wants us to depend on Him in all things and gives us an open invitation to walk through all seasons of life hand in hand with Him. So, I encourage you to seek Him and ask Him to reveal how He wants you to move through this season. It is in the most challenging seasons that God can feel the furthest away, but I promise He is closest to those who are weak and He is waiting with open arms to lead your way.
Get in the Word. Though we are told that our trials produce growth that does not mean that the enemy will not try convince us otherwise. He knows that trials produce feelings of hopelessness, worry, fear, and anxiety and he will absolutely use that to try to defeat us. The good news is that we have a weapon that he can not stand against. The Word of God. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:10-12 “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.” We are fully equipped to persevere through any trial we endure. Create a list of prayers and bible verses that you can speak out loud. It is not enough to just read God’s word, we need to speak it in faith.
Write it down. God does not want us to suppress our emotions or act as if we aren’t going through it. When we try to suppress our emotions we are giving the enemy room to reinforce negative thoughts and emotions in our mind in an attempt to make us feel defeated. So when negative thoughts and emotions begin to pour in, write it down. Write everything you are feeling in that moment, it doesn’t have to be perfect just get it all out. There is so much value in writing, you can free up space in your mind and hear God more clearly. You can alleviate stress and anxiety and when you transfer a thought in your mind onto paper it feels more manageable to process. Once this season passes, it will be encouraging to look back at your journal entries as a reminder of how God moved through that season and the growth developed within you.
I want to encourage you to always hold onto this truth, “I, the Lord, tell you this: I have decided what I will do for you. I have plans to help you to do well. I do not want to hurt you. I want to give you hope for a good life in the future.” Jeremiah 29:11 Everything we experience has a purpose. God tells us that He is working all things for our good. So we can have the confidence knowing that on the other side of our trials, God will always allow it to benefit us in some way and use it to give Him glory.
