I had devotions at church today and thought I’d share my notes on our blog as well. I don’t claim to have this mastered (I complain to God more than I should) but God has been teaching me these principles.

It’s all about Perspective.

Would you rather eat farm fresh eggs…

Or fresh squeezed butt nuggets?

We’re talking about the same thing (eggs) but from different perspectives – which gives you different emotional reactions.

What’s your perspective on your life?

If success is being comfortable & happy…

Trials are an interruption on my path to success
Trials are an obstacle to my success
Trials take up my time and keep me from success
Trials need to be remedied quickest way possible
Trials need to be avoided at all costs

Trying to be happy all the time stunts our growth.

Our attempts to get back to “happiness” makes us try to sidestep the “curriculum” that God is using to prepare us for the next stage of our journey.

This perspective leads us to:

Seek quick, supernatural deliverance from the trials instead of building personal growth and character from the trial (although deliverance isn’t a bad thing).
Believe that God dislikes us since he isn’t letting us be “happy.”
Complain and become bitter at God which hurts our relationship with God.
Become jealous when God blesses others.
Not learn what we need to so we are ready for God’s calling.

End result: Getting stuck spiritually.

If success is becoming more like Christ…

Trials are instruments to teach us and prepare us for additional growth and direction in God’s will.
Trials help us find character flaws and submit them to God.
Trials help us realize we cannot do it on our own strength.
Trials are an opportunity to build faith & trust in God.

Wanting to be more like Christ helps us see trials in the proper perspective.

We realize that the trials we face in life are necessary to help us grow to be like Christ and to accomplish things in God’s kingdoms.

This perspective leads us to…

See the big picture! God is purposefully teaching you something so he can use you in the future.
Have hope in the future. Hope brings us joy & peace.
Trust God. There’s a reason the trials are happening.
Display to non-believers the “peace that passes understanding.” Trials are an opportunity to display spiritual peace in physical storms.
Pray for our personal growth so we may “graduate the class.”

End result: spiritual growth.

In summary:

Trying to get out of trials causes us to:

Run from God’s classroom
Render us ineffective for God’s bigger plans
Focus on the short term struggle instead of the long term benefits
Become bitter and selfish

We view trials as roadblocks to our success.

Embracing trials causes us to:

Pay attention to God’s lesson
Prepare us for God’s bigger plans
Rejoice in what God is turning us into (and not complain about how he’s doing it).
Become humble and submissive.

School of Hard Knocks