Trials in life test your faith

I Peter 1:7 (NLT)

These trials are only to test your faith to show that it is strong and pure. 

Peter wrote his two letters during the terrible persecutions of Christians under the Roman emperor, Nero.  Is there not a more horrible image than that of Christians being burned alive at night to entertain this madman?  Peter knew that these persecutions in Rome would spread to Roman provinces that he lists in his first verse, so he wrote his two letters to encourage these Christians not to lose their faith in the risen Christ. 

The trials that the early Christians faced---and many Christians in parts of the world today face---are much more “scary” that what most of us face today.  However, some of you reading these words may be facing a trial of potential loss of health or life itself.  So, you, especially, can relate to what the early readers of this letter—and this specific verse—were dealing with everyday. 

We all face all kinds of trials in our lives.  Some are worse than others, but they all are hardships that put our faith to the test.  There is the old phrase—a faith that cannot be tested cannot be trusted.  The Greek word for trials is “petrasmos” that means “a putting to proof by experiment” and the Greek word for test is “dokimazo” that means “to prove genuine” or “to prove that it will not fail”.  Your trials in life have a purpose, God allows them, in order to test and purity your faith.  God tests your faith by trials like a jeweler refines pure gold.  It takes 4 tons of gold ore to produce one ounce of pure gold.  The refining process requires high temperatures and lots of skimming of the worthless part of the ore.  God puts you through trials to burn off the worthless parts of your life—your selfishness, greed, hatred, lust, unkindness, bitterness, impatience, etc.  Pure gold is reflective.  After many trials, what ends up being reflected in your life is the image of Jesus formed in you.  When God looks at you, He sees Himself.

I have taught several classes over the years on the purpose of suffering.  When people carefully study and understand the purpose of suffering from a Biblical perspective, you almost wish that trials and hardship would come your way because of the ultimate and eternal benefits they produce in you.  Of course, I stated “almost wish”.  No one desires to suffer hardship or to be tested by trials, but when they come, they will produce great benefits if you keep the faith that God’s purposes will be met and your life will be reflective of His character, not your own. 

If you are being tested right now by a trial or trials in your life, please pray over this verse (and similar ones, many found in the two books by Peter) asking God to refine you and perfect you to reflect His purity and character.  And may you experience great blessings as you go through your trial(s).