If you haven’t experienced a trial yet in your life, let me assure you, you will.
A trial could be anything from the most traumatic of circumstances, to trusting god in your season of waiting.
Maybe you are waiting for the job you’ve always wanted, maybe you’re waiting to finally get the two pink lines on a pregnancy test, or maybe you are waiting to find your spouse.
Waiting can be a trial, and so can being hit with a grim diagnosis.
Whatever the case, the good news is that there are ways to start trusting God through trials.
In my 33 years, I have faced many trials, as well as many seasons of waiting.
The most recent trial being that of a stage four blood cancer diagnosis. I was diagnosed in November of 2022, and it completely rocked my world.
I was a seemingly healthy, full time working mama of two little ones. My husband and I were the youth pastors of our church. I played keys for the worship team.
The next thing I know, I was being hospitalized for 40 days to start intensive chemotherapy.
Without treatment, the doctor said I would have only months to live.
Talk about a trial…
But throughout all of this, I learned, truly learned, how to start trusting God through trials.
Keeping Faith In God During Hard Times
These are the exact tools I used to trust God during the darkest season of my life. I pray they help you, too.
1. Cling to the Promises in His Word.
The Bible is filled with beautiful promises for us! However, many times scriptures can be taken out of context.
For example, one scripture I so often hear is,
“I have plans to prosper you, to give you a hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:11
This is a beautiful Bible verse, but Jesus was not talking to you and me in regarding our life on earth.
This verse is found in the Old Testament, and God was referring to the nation of Israel.
See the difference?
For a list of actual promises for you and I, check out this post.
2. Give Yourself Space to Grieve.
A terrible diagnosis, loss of a job, the breaking of the covenant of marriage–all of these things deserve a space for grief. There is an entire book of the Bible, Lamentations, which is basically dedicated to greiving!
Spend 30 minutes, or an hour, whatever you feel you need, to grieve the pain. If you don’t process it and feel it, it will come out some way or another. Why not do it in a healthy and intentional way?
For a long time, I would daily grieve my diagnosis. I would grieve the loss of my energy, the loss of the time with my children as I was in the hospital.
After by allotted greiving time was up, I would then switch to doing something that brought me joy!
Such as lighting a candle, drinking a cup of coffee, binging a tv show, ect.
God created our emotions, it is OK to feel them.
The night before Jesus was crucified, he went to a garden, and cried out to God. Maybe that’s just what you need to do as well.
God is big enough and can handle your emotions!
3. Recognize that Your Humanity is a Natural Part of Life.
Ok, here’s the thing, and it may be a hard pill to swallow…
Life is hard, and then you die. My momma taught me that 🤪
In our modern-world, we are accustomed to thinking that life should go smoothly. The “American dream” doesn’t invovle cancer, divorce, or early death.
I would dare say it’s foolish to not recognize that death and loss is part of our humanity.
A wise mentor once taught me, “We all die, we just don’t always know the route in which we will get there.”
Unless the Lord comes back first, death, is immenient.
Some might argue that the Bible teaches we are supposed to live 120 years, and I would disagree with that statement. Even Jesus died at 33!
And sickness, death, and disease aside, humanity also means that others will hurt you–because they are human.
You will be betrayed, belittled, and who knows, maybe even physically beaten.
Just read the book of Psalms and see all the turmoil King David expereinced!
What makes you and I think we are above that?
Accepting your (and others) humanity is a hard place to get to, and it won’t happen overnight. But it’s a truly freeing place to be once you are there.
4. Praise God Regardless of How You Feel
Recently, I have noticed there has been an influx of worship songs written about praising God, regardless of what is going on in your life.
When you praise him, it is an act of worship. It is an act of trusting God even when things don’t “make sense.” It’s a sign of complete surrender and giving up of control.
Praising God during your season of wait shows him that you will follow him anyway. It shows God that you are indeed a faithful servant of his.
I know that God will honor that!
5. Memorize Scriptures During Seasons of Wait
Sometimes all you can do is begin to memorize scriptures. When I first got home from the hospital, a friend from church sent me a giant stack of post it notes, with handwritten scriptures on each one.
I placed them all over my house. My fridge, my mirror, my cabinets— everywhere.
Everywhere I went in my home, was covered in Bible verses! Once I started speaking them out loud, I began to easily memorize them.
I’ve made a list of digital printable scriptures you can check out on my Etsy page. These are some of the exact scriptures I used to help me trust God during my trial!
6. Fill Your Mind With Good Things
(After you have greived your trial) it’s important to keep your mind filled with good things. This will help keep your thoughts centered on positivity.
I am not teaching “name it and claim it” here– but our thoughts are powerful and they do have the ability to change your life.
I’m an affiliate for an online course called “Taking Every Thought Captive.” I highly recommend this course for anyone dealing with intrusive or destructive thoughts. I got so much out of it. You get your moneys worth in MORE.
Other tips are to make a postive/worship playlist, read healthy things, and surround yourself with people who will uplift you instead of bring you down.
Speak life to yourself and to your situation.
7. Choose to Trust God Despite Your Circumstances
This might be the most difficult part of learning how to start trusting God through trials.
You have to choose to trust God despite your circumstances. Choose to trust God when things don’t make sense. Choose to trust God when you didn’t land that job, when your spouse decides to leave you, and when your child gets diagnosed with disease.
The keyword is chose.
And no one can do it for you. Your parents’ faith, your grandparents’ faith, your pastors’ faith—is not enough.
YOU have to be the one to choose.
Trust God when you’ve been given 6 months to live.
Trust God when your family member dies of a sudden heart attack.
Trust God when you’re constantly surrounded by negativity at work.
You and I are not entitled to “understand” why horrible things happen.
If you are a believer, show me anywhere in the Bible that says we earn the right to know why.
My tiny, human brain, that is only halfway working–could never understand. But some key things to remember are death and disease are part of this fallen earth.
The earth is not our home, Heaven is.
It is when we are in heaven that there will be no more tears, sorrow, and sickness.
Life just plain sucks sometimes.
This isn’t to discount the beautiful moments in life. I know you have expereinced those.
Hearing your baby’s heartbeat for the first time, marrying the love of your life, the smell of fresh baked banana bread, and crisp air on a fall morning–life is just plain spectacular sometimes, too.
Cling to those moments when you find you yourself in hard seasons.
8. Be Open and Vulnerable in Your Journey
My dad has an ongoing joke that his spiritual gift is “privacy.” 🤣
I’ve always been a private person too, but as I went through cancer treatment, I just decided to be completly open with my processings and greveing. My doubts and my questions.
And you know what?
So many people have told me that through my words and my vulnerability I was able to help them.
You never know the impact you might make on someone, just by being honest about what you’re expericing.
Throughout my cancer treatment, I also had this running joke with my dad.. I would often tell him,
“I don’t want to help others. I want to live my life. I want to work, cook, take care of my family. I don’t want to be some example of God’s strength.” Complete with an eye roll.
But it was so true for me.
I didn’t want to be strong. I didn’t want to be an example that would someday “help others.”
I didn’t care about OTHERS, I cared about MYSELF and my husband and my daughters.
So, it’s okay if you feel that too. It’s okay if during your trial you are frustrated.
But I want to encourage you to have the bravery to be raw. Be open.
Speak up and speak out!
For your story will help others when they face trials too, whether you like it or not. 😉
For more spiritual growth and support, be sure to join my private Facebook group for women wanting to be encouraged in the Lord 😊.
