Mom Heart Moments #118

You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

AFTER PASSING SUCCESSFULLY through basic training, a soldier must prove worthy in real battles to earn the right to humbly and wisely lead others into victory in bigger arenas. Because God delights in us entering into the fray of this world, to bring light, beauty, and truth and to stand strongly and boldly for His purposes, He sends us trials and training to prepare us for the platform He would have us stand on.

I know this because my own victories through trials became the very platform on which I saw the grace of God, His goodness, and His love, as I saw He had a better plan for me than I had for myself. My integrity was won in the seemingly invisible places, where He was testing and strengthening me for bigger arenas.

Each of us has this same opportunity to live a faithful story as we walk through the difficulties of life. How can we encourage others in this fallen place if we do not see God’s faithfulness in our own stories? As we hold His hand and move forward, we will have a story to tell, a way to encourage others from the integrity of our own lives.

Today, don’t resist the trials —they will be the making of your character, the galvanizing of your integrity, the defining of a great story of your King working on your behalf in the history of His redeeming the world back to Himself —your opportunity to show forth your true love for Him.

What trials are you facing right now? How would it change your perspective to view those trials as the training ground for something God may be calling you to in the future?