Having your faith tested is scriptural. Being defeated is not. Sadly, many believers equate trials with defeat. They think the difficulties they’re facing are a result of their lack of faith. The Word of God says differently. We are in fact, to be full of joy when trials come. That’s because they are the perfect opportunity for us to have our faith tested and proven!
In other words, when tough times come, the genuineness of our faith is tested. At the sight of trouble do we shrink back and quit? Do we panic and fear, allowing our emotions to carry us off into a downward spiral of despair? Or do we find that our first reaction is to thank God for the opportunity to see His Word go to work for us, as we trust in His faithfulness to equip us with everything we need to pull through victoriously? The truth is, the real testing doesn’t just come at the face of the trial – it’s the endurance we develop in the midst of it! Godly patience is a firm decision or resolve, to refuse to give up trusting God’s Word on a matter, no matter how everything around us contradicts it.
Remember, everything is subject to change, it’s God’s Word that remains forever. We just need to learn to get into that place of restful confidence, where we are convinced our faith in God’s Word will outlast any trial! That’s true faith, undergirded with the fruit of patient endurance!