TRIALS,
PATIENCE IN

ON A Wednesday night a few years ago, I went to the hospital, because I got a phone call that my daughter, Priscilla, was in labor. I walked inside of the room, and she said, “Dad, I’ve never had pain like this in my life. I thought I was going to die. I hate Eve.”

On top of that she had to cooperate with the pain, because the doctors wanted her to push. There were grunts, groans, and tears. It was a painful situation. But she didn’t quit. Why? Because she knew that at the end of the process, no matter how long it took, hour after hour, at the end of the process, something was going to be born. She counted it all joy, not because of the pain, but she counted it all joy because she knew what would be produced because of the pain.

If you asked her when she held that baby in her arms for the first time if it was worth it, she’d tell you yes. In fact, the reason I know she and many other ladies think that it’s worth it is because they decide to do it again.

God wants us to know that when He allows or brings a trial into our lives, it is with the purpose of giving birth to something—birth to a new reality of Jesus Christ, birth to a new level of spiritual growth, and birth to new depths. In trials you don’t feel happy and don’t feel bad that you don’t feel happy, because usually with trials there is no love and happiness. However, God wants us to know that our experiences, although painful at times, are not in vain.985

[Pain; Suffering; Trials, Benefits of]

Rom. 5:3–5; James 1:2–4

MY SON Anthony suffered terribly from asthma when he was a kid. I had to take him to the doctor’s office quite a bit. On one trip, the doctor had to give him an epinephrine shot. Those needles hurt, but the doctor was amazing at how he handled kids and needles. He would give Anthony a lollipop and Anthony would go to licking. While he was focused on the lollipop, the doctor would hit him with the needle. Anthony was in pain and in agony. He didn’t see or understand all the doctor was doing. All he knew was that the doctor who was supposed to help him was hurting him. The doctor was supposed to be relieving pressure on his lungs but was instead causing him to cry and huff and puff more. It looked like the one who was there for him was against him. However, after a few seconds, Anthony decided that since he had the lollipop in his hand he might as well enjoy it. He would go back to licking it and shortly forget about the pain.

Many of us feel that way in a trial. It seems that the God who is supposed to be for you is acting like He’s against you. However, God is faithful to provide us opportunities of joy within those trials if we look for them. With tears running down your face, Jesus is your lollipop, and He is sweet, I know. Focus on the eternal perspective.986

[Eternal Perspective; Trials, Endurance during]

2 Cor. 4:7–18; 1 Peter 1:6–7