i recently got braces. yeah. not fun but through this, i have been learning a lot and it has been reminded me of some truths about trials. trials are not easy. they stretch you. they sometimes hurt. they are definitely not fun.
trials are for your good. they mold you. they help you grow. and you definitely learn from them.
i have been struggling lately and have been going through trials. and one word that keeps coming into my heart is the word JOY. and then i think to myself, "how can i have joy in THIS? it's so hard."
God commands us. calls us. compels us. to have joy in and through trials.
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature. and complete, not lacking anything." ((james 1:2-4))
"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls." ((1 peter 1:6-9))
i have had my braces for about 2 weeks now and some people have asked me why? why did i get braces? didn't i have good teeth? weren't they okay? i have survived this far in my life with my teeth how they were so why do i have to have these metal brackets stuck on my teeth for a year?
after thinking about this for awhile, i feel like i ask God those same questions. why God, why? why do i have to go through this trial? wasn't my life good enough? i was doing okay, why this now? don't i know enough? why do i have to go through this trial right now?
and gently He reminds me that in this life we are meant to grow. we are made to change. are created to become like Him. to be transformed into His likeness. to take off our old self and be renewed into His image.
and through all these changes to be filled with JOY because He is creating in us something beautiful.
so right now, with these metal brackets on my teeth that are creating some pain and feelings of discomfort i am reminded of the beauty that it is creating. but to have that end-product i have to go through this "trial."
it's the same way with life's trials. there might be pain. there might be discomfort. but in the end it is worth it. and through it all have JOY. yes, it will be hard. yes, you might not feel joy-filled. but ask for it. plead with Jesus to give you His JOY and He will. your heart will well up with thankfulness for the work that He is doing in your life and it will all be worth it because and only because He ALONE is worth IT ALL.
