"In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed." (NIV)
Peter speaks about trials. The Greek word here is peirasmos which Strong’s actually translates as "temptations" (Strong’s G3986). I think this is very important for us to consider because it is often "trials,"—those times of suffering, grief and pain—that tempt us to turn away from trusting God, from believing that His hand is in control. Think about it! When great tragedies strike our nation, one of the first questions often asked is, "Where is God in all this?" It is the same with the tragedies of our lives. The temptation is to ask why God would allow us to go through something like this.
I can only speak for myself, but I know that when life is going along rather nicely, I’m inclined to forget God. And then when things get painful and difficult, I’m inclined to mistrust and question Him. Not a very satisfactory faith relationship. When things are good, I should always been seeking His wisdom and asking what I should do next. And when things are difficult, I should be clinging to His goodness and love, knowing that He has promised that all things will work for my good (Romans 8:28).
Peter writes that these trials (and temptations) come "for a little while." The word here is oligos and it is best translated "a season." I can remember my Aunt Audrey (Mieir) talking about the seasons of life. Each season brings with it joys and sorrows, rejoicing and heartache, opportunities and limitations. She encouraged us always to embrace the current season in which we lived, trusting that God had already given us what we needed to successfully fulfill His will. But she also taught me to remember that a season has its beginning . . . and its ending. And not to believe that life would always be as it is now.
When I was crowned Miss La Verne (a very small city in Southern California), I can remember thinking about what Aunt Audrey had taught me. From that first night, even while enjoying all the activities that the Chamber of Commerce had outlined for me to do (which included riding on the top of the town’s fire engine), I always kept in mind that, in a year, I would be passing my title and crown onto someone else. This wasn’t a permanent assignment, but simply a wonderful and fun time that would last for twelve months.
All the seasons of our lives are temporary. They may last for a few weeks or months or they may last for a few years, but at some point, this season will end and a new one will begin. The only "season" of our life that won’t end is that precious eternal time in heaven. When we enter the gates of our "forever" Home, we can rest assured that it will never end. But until then, we live through various seasons, each of which will test our faith. If we persevere, each trial will result in praise, glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ who is willing, even now, to guide each step, to reveal each decision, to provide for every need.
© 2015 Robin L. O’Hare. All rights reserved. Permission granted for nonprofit and church groups to use this article in its entirety (including this notice). For other uses, please contact servinggodalone@yahoo.com.
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