How God Taught Me Faith - Part II - Forged Through Trials

It is easy for one to think they have faith when life is going smoothly; with little or no serious challenges. But the real test comes when we're hit with unexpected problems from different angles.

Trials will test your faith, to know what sort it is. At the same time, God is also watching how you react and handle those difficult times.

This is where many fail and give up. Some end up abandoning God and taking ungodly paths just to get out of their challenges. But this was just a simple test, right?

For the one who continues holding onto God, their faith grows when God steps in and delivers them out of their storm. For the one who is at the brink of giving up, God will often have mercy and come through for them — just to remind them that He's faithful, unchanging.

1 Peter 4:12 says, Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

In other words, always remember you're a Christian. The earth is your training ground, also your battlefield. You're constantly being built. You'll have challenges. You'll come under attacks. You're not expected to be shocked by hard times. Don't let trials surprise you as if they're anything strange or you're not supposed to have them.

For someone like me who came to God with a baggage of unbelief and negative mindset — dumped through bad experiences in life, studying the Word of God alone was one step towards developing faith. It just wasn't going to be enough.

As a baby Christian, at first, it's going to be hard. It was really hard for me. You're going to question God when you're passing through storms. But if you're someone God wants to use mightily, your nagging won't stop God from letting you go through even tougher trials.

You are called and you want to be used of God? You'll need great faith to do great exploits. And God isn't going to build that in you through comfort. No one grows in comfort. Your path to growing in faith isn't going to be comfy.

In the course of building my faith, God has let me go through diverse trials to the extent I was almost losing my mind.

In one of those moments, I was in the brink of breaking. Because of the hard times I was passing through, I once told God, paraphrased: “If this is how serving God looks like, then I think it will be better to serve the devil. It looks like the devil answers his followers faster, maybe he might at least give me the little things I need just to survive.”

This was a period I would fast for days with no food to eat even when I broke the fast. There was no food, so fasting was just literally indefinite for me. If I broke the fast, what was I gonna eat? Bread, sugarcane? I couldn't even afford those. I couldn't afford a meal, so I'd rather just continue fasting.

God would wait till when everything was just at their worst, then He would speak. He would tell me that I'm supposed to have faith. He would remind me He's faithful. Then He'd tell me, “Wait and see what I'm going to do in a couple of days.” Sometimes, it won't even reach up to a day and I'd have supernatural supply.

Then there were also times I had some money with me, I had food. But a problem that money couldn't solve would strike! No other option but to go back to praying like a mad man and trusting God to deliver me out of it.

Getting your faith built through trials is not funny. God doesn't exempt any genuine Believer from getting built through this method. Only the severity level will be unique for everyone.

Once you pass through this phase, trust me, nothing will shake you anymore.

God is still building my faith even today. The difference is that I have seen the worst before. I've been through hell. When new, rebranded problems come for me today, I'm just like, “Okay, I've seen even worse than this before. Nothing new. Just a little perseverence and persistence in fixing my gaze on God, and this one too will pass.”

Those whose faith have been forged through trials are like battle-hardened soldiers. The enemy is weary of them. The enemy has thrown the worst at them, yet they survived and are still standing. They don't freak out when new trials come. They can stay calm under pressure. Their faith in God is rock solid.

If you aren't there yet, you'll get there. Job was once there. Just remember never to listen to the voices that tempt you to 'curse God' like Job's friends did.

Job 23:10, But he knows the way that I take; when he has tried me, I shall come out as gold.

Some of us want to be powerful men and women of God, but can't stand little heat of trial? Gold isn't processed in a comfortable space; it's purified in intense fire.

God's standard in Hebrews 10:38 is clear and unchanging, But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.

Let God build your faith. It's gonna hurt a little, maybe much. But it's not gonna kill. You'll come forth purer, stronger, and as a deadly weapon against the kingdom of darkness.