Living a life of faith in the public eye is difficult. We all go through tough times in life that we refer to as trials. Looking at it through the lens of faith, many of us believe that God uses them to teach us, strengthen us, and grow our faith. These life events are difficult and we have to suffer, succumb, and try to recover as the world watches us in our most vulnerable moments. We want to keep our composure but if God were to achieve His objectives, He has to push us to the breaking point in order to mold us. In other words, we will fall for sure and this will happen for the world to see. The redemptive part of this is what we do when we fall; that is also for the world to see. That is the part where we will be able to either draw people to God, or turn people away from God. Falling is not the problem, not getting up is. Having this insight will help us not to fear failure. What we need to fear is the fear of facing difficult situations because we are afraid to fail. Our growth comes when we struggle to bounce back from our failures.
It is hard enough to go through trials in life, but not knowing what to expect heightens the level of difficulty. It’s like being lost in the middle of the ocean and not knowing how far the shore is. You might end up giving up any hopes of surviving, only to know that you are a few miles away from land. I’ve gone through many trials in my life. God never promised me a life without suffering. But He did promise that He will help me through them. Over the years, I have noticed a pattern that I go through as I struggled, in faith, to face the many trials God allowed in my life. Knowing what to expect helped comfort me and gave me the stamina to hang in there until God’s plan fully unfolds.
Here are the ten stages of a faith journey that I gleaned from living through and surviving the many trials in my life:
1. Realizing you are in a storm.
Life is calm and good, and you are enjoying the status quo. Suddenly, some life event hits you out of nowhere. It’s often sudden and unexpected. It catches you off guard and unprepared. Life seems out of control as you struggle to comprehend what is going on.
2. Experiencing the storm.
You get hit from all sides. Before you could recover from the first hit, here comes another one. There seems no end in sight. You are down on your knees and eventually, you lay motionless on your back. You look around and see no one. It is wet, cold, and dark.
3. Praying for help and asking others to intercede.
You know you have a strong faith in God. At least, you thought you did based on your past experiences and the way you lived your life. You call on God who is ever faithful to you. You are surrounded by friends who are similarly devoted to God. Together, you ask God to save you from the storm, or at least give you peace and courage as you deal with it. You all pray without ceasing.
4. Asking God “why?”
It’s been a while now. God seems silent. You know He has a purpose for allowing this storm in your life, but you cannot figure out what. You know He is with you through it all but you cannot feel His presence. You keep praying but you cannot hear Him answer. You are getting weak and worn out, and all you can utter to God is “why?”
5. Asking God “when?” “When will you help me?” “When will this end?”
You are trying very hard to hold on to your faith in God and not waver. The spirit is willing but the flesh is getting weaker. You are not sure you can hold on any longer. You know God would not give you more than you can handle. You know that God will give you a way out when it’s time. You know that He is aware of what you are going through, and you know that He has a plan. But you wonder, how much longer will this go on. When will God show up and save you, specially when you are doing His will and serving Him? Why do people who do the right thing have to suffer so much? You know that God is just, but when will He intervene? Surely, He is not going to allow this to destroy you. You recall His promise in the scriptures that “no weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17 NKJV).”
6. Trusting God.
You are tired of wrestling with God and decided you just want to be still and let God be God. You know you can trust Him, and besides, you don’t have a choice at this time. You cannot control others and you cannot control the circumstances. You are not smart enough to know what else to do, and not strong enough to keep fighting. You are glad you know God and have nurtured a relationship with Him. It’s like you have deposited money in the bank and now you have something to draw from. You surrender everything to Him and submit to His will. A sudden calm come over you, and you are able to rest. Suddenly, you feel His presence and you hear His voice.
7. Marveling at God’s interventions.
The storm is beginning to quiet down. The waves stop as if God commanded it to. Things miraculously start to change. You are beginning to see a sliver of light in the horizon. A new day is about to begin. God paid you back double for your trouble. You are in awe. You never thought this day would come.
8. Feeling embarrassed that you doubted.
You thought you had a strong faith. This trial exposed your lack of it. You are embarrassed. You feel unworthy for doubting the goodness of God. You beat yourself up over this, but eventually decided you will just learn from it. You realize that doubting is part of the faith journey.
9. Becoming aware of the wisdom, strength, and faith you gained.
After all the beating, you are wounded. But the wounds begin to heal and the pain is gone. You formed scars; they are stronger than normal skin. You gained wisdom and you grew in faith. Your faith is stronger, but surely, there is more room to grow. You know that there will be another trial coming that will help take you to the next level. You know that God will not let you settle into complacency. The only way for you to continue to grow is for Him to keep stirring you up.
10. Telling others about it.
You are in awe of what you have experienced. God is truly amazing and worthy of your praise. You experienced God’s love, power, and faithfulness, because you suffered. The joy you felt was overwhelming. It is too much to keep it all inside. You could not help but share your story with the next person you talk to or see. You became the angel that God sent to that person who happen to be going through his own storm.
This is the faith lifecycle; we suffer, we pray, we grow, and repeat. This cycle will continue until we become who God wants us to be. There is redemptive value in suffering. It leads us to seek God, and in the process, transforms us. It helps peel off the layers that separate us from God, like good health, success, and a happy family life. All these blessings can make us complacent and feel self-sufficient. They make us falsely believe that we can live a life independent from God. In a sense, suffering can be a very effective tool that God uses to prepare us to receive the blessings He intended for us.